We need to come together as a global community to ensure women and girls have access to good quality education, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has said.
Malala was speaking alongside Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday.
Malala said: “We do want to see change - and I think that education is the only way of doing that for women empowerment. It’s not the job of one person. Everyone has to play a role in this, whether it’s the job of government, at global level, or business level, or local activist level.
“We’re empowering women so that they can bring change in their local communities, whether it’s through teacher training [or] giving e-learning. I’m focusing on empowering girls because they are the future - and giving them a voice so that they can speak out for their rights and that they can try to speak out about the issues they’re facing. Prime ministers, presidents and leaders play a big role in making sure women have access to good quality education and good quality opportunities.”
‘Investing in women and girls’
Mr Trudeau agreed with Malala and said: “We know that as we look to have a maximum impact on improving outcomes for the people in the developing world, investing in women and girls, not only has been done less than is fair or necessary over the past years but is the most effective way of a real and lasting difference.”
On the panel with Malala and Mr Trudeau were Orit Gadiesh, chairman of management consulting firm Bain & Company and Fabiola Gianotti, director-general of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).
Mr Trudeau also took the time to answer a question from the Varkey Foundation’s CEO, Vikas Pota, about how to raise the status of teachers around the world. He told Mr Pota: “Pay them more, celebrate them and ultimately allow them opportunities to grow and become prime ministers of their countries.”
“Pay them more, celebrate them, and ultimately allow them opportunities to grow and become Prime Ministers of their countries” was @JustinTrudeau ‘s reply to my question how we raise the status of teachers, given he was one once. Thanked him for his support for the @TeacherPrize. pic.twitter.com/IO3oTGoJYt
