‘Girls’ education is a climate solution’: Malala Yousafzai joins climate protest

• Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Pakistani Taliban gunman in 2012.
• She went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in education.
• Millions of girls lose access to schools as a result of climate-related events such as drought and floods.

STOCKHOLM: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai told Reuters on Friday that the fight against climate change is equally a fight for girls’ right to education, as millions of girls lose access to schools as a result of climate-related events.

Yousafzai was speaking outside the Swedish parliament, where she was joined by environmental activists Greta Thunberg and Vanessa Nakate for one of the weekly Friday climate protests that have inspired a worldwide movement.

After being targeted for her advocacy against the Taliban’s efforts to deny women education, the now 24-year-old was shot in the head by a Pakistani Taliban gunman in 2012. She went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in education, making her the youngest person to do so.

“Millions of girls are unable to attend school as a result of climate-related incidents. Droughts and floods have a direct impact on schools, and some of these occurrences result in displacement “In an interview, Yousafzai stated.

“As a result, females are the ones who suffer the most: they are the first to drop out of school and the last to return.”

During the rally, Yousafzai told a tale about how climate change disrupted her schooling when her school and many others in the area were flooded.

Also Read

Malala Yousafzai is happy to see Pakistani actors in ‘Ms Marvel’  

Malala Yousafzai is overjoyed to see the new Marvel miniseries Ms Marvel....

Yousafzai, Nakate, and Thunberg all emphasised how women, particularly those in developing countries, have been disproportionately affected by the climate catastrophe and can play a role in solving it if they are educated.

“Educating girls and women helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, develop resilience, and minimise the existing injustices that so many women and girls suffer in different parts of the world,” said Nakate, a 25-year-old Ugandan campaigner.

Yousafzai, whose Malala Fund has become a global symbol of women’s perseverance in the face of repression, took pictures with passing locals and tourists and spoke with the Fridays For Future activists who have been protesting outside the parliament building since 2018, spawning a global movement.

Activists displayed banners and placards supporting Afghan girls’ right to education and connecting the climate issue and future solutions to women’s educational prospects around the world.

“Any girl can change the world if she is given the correct tools,” Thunberg, 19, said.

Also Read

Malala Yousafzai’s captivating photos with husband Asser Malik

Malala is the youngest laureate and it’s an honor to get that...