Almost 70 percent of the civilians being slaughtered in Gaza are women and children.
Even the “lucky ones” who survive live in constant terror, uprooted from any semblance of normality. In September, 45,000 6-year-old children in Gaza were supposed to begin their first year of school.
The figure is higher when accounting for other groups and neighboring areas.
Across the West Bank, 782,000 students face severe barriers to learning. “Barriers,” in this instance, do not mean the lack of a computer. It means exploding bombs, extreme starvation or having one’s parents slaughtered.
Disrupted education is no laughing matter.
Without quality learning, children are left poorly equipped to enter the workforce and at a much greater risk of exploitation and abuse. Education is also critical to physical health, as educated children are more informed on hygiene and nutrition.
Young girls are disproportionately affected. They are far more likely to be the victims of violent abuse, child marriage or sex trafficking — often becoming trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty and financial dependence. It’s no wonder the research consistently tells us that girls’ education is vital to ending generational poverty, reducing the spread of disease, and tackling violent abuse while improving reproductive and maternal health.
These revelations are hardly novel. The United Nations has been championing girls’ education for decades, and billions of dollars have been invested. However, financial investments and donated supplies can only take us so far. In most cases, the barriers to girls’ education are not practical or quantifiable but intrinsic and ideological.
In Gaza, the loss of girls’ education will exacerbate their psychological burden. Their physical health will decline, and their future opportunities will fade away.
Even if we could improve their fortunes by sending textbooks, the war would rage on. Soon, we’d be left with a handful of surviving pages floating above the shrapnel.
We face the same problem in our pathetic attempts to safeguard girls’ education under the Taliban’s oppressive regime or in countries where child marriage is considered a cultural norm. We don’t have the tools, expertise or moral authority to delve beneath the surface of ancient beliefs and traditions.
Fortunately, some do. In January, for example, the Muslim World League will host its first International Conference on Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities.
As the world’s largest Muslim NGO, the Muslim World League will convene thousands of Islamic scholars in Islamabad, gathered alongside academics, organizations, fatwa councils and politicians, including the prime minister of Pakistan.
The event will be launched by Secretary-General Mohammed Al-Issa, globally renowned for his peacebuilding achievements. In 2020, he organized the largest-ever Islamic delegation to Auschwitz in recognition of Jewish suffering. Under his leadership, the Muslim World League has fostered unity among the Muslim community through its Charter of Makkah and Charter of Building Bridges between Islamic Schools of Thought and Sects.
These documents outline the principles of a moderate form of Islam that rejects all forms of hate and division. They were endorsed by senior Islamic scholars in the holy city of Makkah, which is symbolic of the common ground between every strand of their diverse faith.
Although there are no easy answers, the conference is intended to provide sanctuary for productive debate against ideologies enforced by extremist groups like the Taliban. It will also be a launching platform for several working groups, awareness campaigns and investment commitments, and a new Charter of Girls’ Education in the Islamic World.
For the first time, the global Muslim community will reach a consensus on girls’ education. Not only will this improve the lives of young women worldwide, but it could also be the key to long-lasting peace in the Middle East.
Studies have shown that educated women are empowered contributors to peacebuilding and economic recovery. Quality learning gives them the knowledge and skills they need to become leaders, business owners and advocates for peace.
It even helps prevent future conflicts. Educated girls are better equipped to participate in decision-making for more stable, peaceful societies. When peace processes include women’s education, the likelihood of agreements lasting for at least 15 years increases by 35 percent.
By prioritizing girls’ education, we can start to end this vicious cycle of conflict and violence.
