Pakistani Teacher Dead, Change Needed for Girls' Education- Margaret Canady

A 41 year old teacher was shot and killed in the village of Shahkas, Pakistan, five months after the attempted murder of Malala Yousafzai, a 14 year old school girl from Pakistan that stood up for girls' education.

Shahnaz Nazli was a female teacher who taught at an all girls school. She was on her way to work when 2 men on a motorcycle pulled up and shot her. Her son ran to get help, and she was transported to a nearby hospital, but later died from the gunshots. Eighteen suspects have been arrested, but no one has taken responsibility for the attack.

The recent murder of Nazli and the attempted murder of Yousafzai have sparked anger around the world, fueling the fight for universal girls' education. In October, the Pakistani government agreed "for the first time to legislate compulsory free education and provide stipends for three million children". This week, a new petition was launched on www.educationenvoy.org urging the "President and Government of Pakistan to end the killings and violence that prevent girls’ education and to ensure all girls can go to school". Malala Yousafzai and her father were the first signatories.

The 34 million girls who are not allowed to receive an education will be silent no longer. Their fight- our fight- is not over, but just beginning. Over the past several years, the Taliban has threatened, intimidated, shot, murdered, and used arson in an attempt to stop women from receiving equal opportunity. This type of intimidation and violence is common in parts of India, Afghanistan, and Africa, and Pakistani women still need police escorts to go to school. However, the United Nations and World Bank are working with countries to secure universal primary education for every child by 2015.

It is time for change. Education is a human right that everyone should be allowed to have, regardless of gender. Go to www.educationenvoy.org to learn about their mission and to sign the petition so every child can go to school. I was really angered by the 2 articles I read. Why does the Taliban believe women do not deserve the same opportunities as men? I signed the petition, and I believe we can answer the call for action.


Sources: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/27/world/asia/pakistan-teacher-death-petition/index.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/28/opinion/gordon-brown-girls-education/index.html?hpt=ias_mid
www.educationenvoy.org