Girls' education campaigns

Global Action Week 2004 - Pakistan

© UNICEF Pakistan 2004/Zaidi

School girls 'walking' for education for all in Islamabad.

10,000 children participate in Big Lobby; schools across the country get involved

During the early hours of 20 April, children from all over the country began arriving on Constitution Avenue in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, to take part in the Big Lobby as part of the Global Action Week. By 9am, some 10,000 children had gathered - students, children engaged in child labour, refugee children from neighbouring Afghanistan, Girl Guides, and Boy Scouts from Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Sri Lanka. With banners and placards held high, they urged the government to do more to ensure all children in Pakistan receive a quality education.

The children walked to Parliament House where they were received by the Federal Minister of Education, Ms. Zubeida Jalal. Following speeches by children, the Minister reiterated the government's commitment to do more for education, informing the gathering that the government had recently started providing free textbooks to primary school children.

© UNICEF Pakistan 2004/Zaidi

The girls primary community school in Tharit, Baluchistan taking part in Global Action Week activities.

"Educating a girl means welfare for the whole family"

Children from across Pakistan are taking part in the Week's activities. In the south-western province of Baluchistan, walks and lobbies have been organized in four districts and essay writing competitions in five districts. And the theme for discussion when children delegations meet with local leaders will be "what should my school be like".

In another activity, thousands of children from all over the country wrote letters to the President and Prime Minister calling them to take action so that all Pakistan's children can go to school and complete their education. Here are some of the messages the country's leaders received:

• Free basic education is the right of every Pakistani child. Poor children also have the right to education.

• Why are five million children out of school?

• Educating a girl means welfare for the whole family.

• The first condition for improving the qualiry of education is providing quality teachers.