University Magazine Issue 1

GIRLS IN EDUCATION
educate
a Girl
educate a Nation
Much has been said lately about women’s access to education around the world, especially in traditionally strict religious
societies. The latest media frenzy has surrounded Malala, a young Pakistani girl who stood up to the Taliban to defend her right
to learn. However, Malala is not alone – there are many young “Malalas” around the world who have little to no access to education
and who face tremendous difficulties in getting education within their societies. As we sat down with several students, we
learned that education is still denied in many areas due to poverty, early pregnancy, and political or economic concerns. Below
are their stories.
Qurat ul Ain Zameer:
“I EXPERIENCED A BOMB
BLAST IN SCHOOL”
Pakistanis are divided on the Malala issue.
The ones who are pro-Malala know
that she stood up for a good cause and
got injured. The ones against Malala
think that the story is just a hoax cre-
ated to defame Pakistan to the rest of the
world. Pakistan is a nation which actually
supports women’s education in most
areas. There are many good universities
and colleges, but their fees are so high
that many citizens can’t afford them. In
rural areas, most girls are not allowed
to go to school, but things are starting
to change from the past decade. People
are finally beginning to see the need for
education, especially for girls.
UM: People have lately been afraid to visit Pakistan
because of Taliban activity. Is it really a scary
place to live, with bombs and death threats?
Qurat: In some places, people go
through this torture daily. They hear
gunshots and bombs or find the dead
bodies of their beloveds. No one knows
who the bad people really are, what they
want or where they come from. I have
actually experienced a bomb blast once,
when I was in school. In the middle of
class, we suddenly heard a loud noise that
took our breath away. After it, there was
a scary silence. My friends and I looked
at each other, with our eyes full of tears,
our hearts beating fast and thinking that
this was the last day of our lives and we’d
never get to see our parents again. We
were so scared, but our teacher escorted
us to the exit, and our parents came to
get us. We all ran towards our parents,
hugging them tightly. Whenever I recall
this incident, I get goose bumps. I felt
happy because we were safe but sad
because other people got killed in this
bad incident. I pray to God to show
those people the right way and awake
humanity in them.
26 University Magazine, VIU Spring 2014