UN Messenger of Peace Malala spoke at the much-anticipated Transforming Education Summit at the United Nations last September and called on world leaders to make schools safe for girls and protect every child's right to learn, saying that “if you are serious about creating a safe and sustainable future for children, then be serious about education.”  

Malala was among officials and activists from across the world who raised their voices to call for progress on education, arguing that this would advance progress for all humanity. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, she asked world leaders to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, while taking stock of progress toward realizing their vision for a safer, more prosperous and just future.

While at the UN, Malala gave an interview in which she spoke about her mission to advocate for girl’s education.  

The COVID-19 pandemic, which caused prolonged school closures and a lack of access to quality learning, exposed and exacerbated a pre-existing learning crisis that has left millions of schoolchildren without foundational numeracy and literacy skills. The poor – especially girls – displaced people, and students with disabilities, have been especially affected.

 

Watch Malala’s speech at the Transforming Education Summit, September 2022