Malala Fund Sponsors First-Ever Youth Delegation to the Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alexandra Humme at ahumme@globalpartnership.org
Desta Abraham at Abraham@sunshinesachs.com

Washington/Birmingham-- June 13, 2014. The Global Partnership for Education is delighted to announce that Malala Yousafzai has joined a group of leading global education advocates, adding her voice to support the Global Partnership for Education's work in almost 60 low-income countries to ensure every child receives a quality, basic education.

As a GPE Replenishment Champion, Malala will be speaking up for the rights of children, especially girls, to an education – and urging governments, business and civil society to work together to fulfil the long-standing pledge of delivering education for all.

The Global Partnership for Education is grateful to the Malala Fund for a newly announced grant to support a first-ever Youth Delegation of 12 young advocates to attend the Second Replenishment Conference of the Global Partnership for Education in Brussels on 25-26 June 2014. 

Participants supported by the Malala Fund will include youth activists from Pakistan, Tanzania, Kenya, Guyana, the Philippines, India, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. They will join at the conference 500 global education leaders, education ministers, experts, and representatives from donor countries, NGOs, multilateral organizations and the private sector to address the dip in global education financing. 

Malala said: “Education is the right of every girl, every human being. I'm proud to be a Champion for the Global Partnership for Education Replenishment and grateful that the Malala Fund is helping bring other young advocates from developing countries to the summit in Brussels. It is only when the voices of young people are heard by our world leaders that we will achieve our goal of children everywhere in school and learning, no matter where they live." 

Continued Malala: "I believe all countries can do more: rich countries must do their part and keep their promises, and developing countries must give more of their own budgets to education.  And if we say girls count, then we must count girls, so we can see if we are really making progress in educating every girl.  Every student knows what it is like to take an exam. I hope world leaders will pass their own test and resolve to keep their promises, not just at the summit, but every day, in every country, in every classroom."

Julia Gillard, board chair of the Global partnership for Education and former Prime Minister of Australia said: “We are delighted and honored to have Malala join our distinguished group of education advocates in support of the Global Partnership for Education. With Malala’s determination and passion for education, she is a role model for children and youth all over the world and will be a wonderful partner to work with.”

The funding target for the four-year period 2015 to 2018 is US $3.5 billion, which will ensure that the annual school costs of 29 million children in 66 low-income countries worldwide can be met. Developing country partners are being asked to pledge an increase of their education spending to 20 percent of their national budgets. NGOs, multilaterals, private-sector institutions and others will pledge further funding and in-kind assistance to get more of the world’s children in school and ensure they get a good education.

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The Global Partnership for Education is made up of nearly 60 developing country governments, as well as donor governments, civil society/non-governmental organizations, teacher organizations, international organizations, and the private sector and foundations, whose joint mission it is to galvanize and coordinate a global effort to provide a good quality education to children, prioritizing the poorest and most vulnerable. The Global Partnership for Education has allocated US$3.7 billion over the past decade to support education reforms in developing countries. 

The Malala Fund empowers girls through education to achieve their potential and change their communities.  Working in four countries, the Fund joins with local partners to invest in innovative solutions, advocate for quality education and amplify the voices of girls to demand change.  malalafund.org