MEXICO: Pakistani education rights activist Malala Yousafzai has reached Mexico — the fifth stop on her Girl Power Trip — to discuss education for girls and meet Mexican President Peña Nieto.
Having already toured the United States, Canada, Iraq, and Nigeria by now, Malala arrived in the Latin American country to talk about and draw attention to education for girls, especially those who hail from marginalised backgrounds.
Statistics indicate that Mexico, at present, has over two million out-of-school girls and only half of the country’s young females manage to complete secondary level education.
Malala during her audience with Nieto expressed her gratitude to him for successfully making it compulsory for all children to achieve 12 years of education and banning marriages of people under 18 years of age.
However, the Nobel laureate went on to ask the president and his government to take additional measures to ensure that laws are brought into action around the country and that education is given to all children, especially girls.
In light of crises prevalent in numerous Latin American countries, like Venezuela, Malala emphasised that it is necessary to offer support to children affected by and fleeing from such conflicts. She requested Nieto to become a champion of girls’ education in the G20 summit next year and prioritise the matter over others.
Under her Girl Power Trip, Malala travels to various countries to meet young girls, highlight their stories, and push leaders to focus on education, specifically for females.