The Malala Fund

MALALA FUND IS WORKING TOWARD A WORLD WHERE ALL GIRLS CAN LEARN FOR 12 YEARS AND LEAD WITHOUT FEAR.

IN AFGHANISTAN, BANGLADESH, BRAZIL, ETHIOPIA, INDIA, LEBANON, NIGERIA, PAKISTAN, TANZANIA AND TURKEY, THE MALALA FUND SUPPORTS ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO ENSURE GIRLS CAN ACCESS 12 YEARS OF FREE, SAFE, QUALITY EDUCATION. GRANTS FROM THE MALALA FUND HELP GIRLS STAY IN SCHOOL AND FUND EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS. THE MALALA FUND ALSO CREATES NETWORKS OF STUDENTS, EDUCATORS AND EDUCATION ACTIVISTS WHO ADVOCATE AT THE LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS FOR RESOURCES AND POLICY CHANGES NEEDED TO GIVE ALL GIRLS A SECONDARY EDUCATION. SOME ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OUR GRANTEES IN 2021 INCLUDED: (SEE SCH. O)EDUCATION CHAMPION NETWORK:IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19, GRANTEE IDARA-E-TALEEM-O-AAGAHI (ITA) IN PAKISTAN DISTRIBUTED TABLETS AND HEALTH AND HYGIENE MANAGEMENT KITS ACROSS 30 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS, INCLUDING ITEMS SUCH AS MENSTRUAL HYGIENE PACKS, HANDWASH AND SOAPS, SANITIZERS, DISINFECTANTS, AND FACE MASKS. ITA ALSO ENROLLED 1,209 OUT-OF-SCHOOL GIRLS IN LITERACY AND NUMERACY ACCELERATED LEARNING PROGRAMS ACROSS THE 30 SCHOOLS AFTER AN INTENSIVE COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION EFFORT, AND FACILITATED THE RE-ENROLMENT OF AN ADDITIONAL 1,550 GIRLS WHO DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL THROUGH COMMUNITY-BASED ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS.IN INDIA, GRANTEE RTE FORUM PROVIDED 1,000 GIRLS BETWEEN 10-18 YEARS IN HAMIRPUR DISTRICT WITH LEARNING KIDS TO KEEP THEM ENGAGED IN STUDIES DURING COVID-19 SCHOOL CLOSURES. THEY ALSO COUNSELED GIRLS AND PARENTS ON COVID-19 GUIDELINES AND ENCOURAGED THEIR CONTINUED FOCUS ON EDUCATION. ONCE IN-PERSON ENGAGEMENT BECAME SAFE, THE TEAM REGULARLY VISITED HOUSEHOLDS TO MONITOR GIRLS' WELL-BEING, ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO KEEP CHILDREN ENGAGED AND DISCOURAGE MARRIAGE AS A SOLUTION IN TIMES OF CRISIS.GRANTEE YOUTH KI AWAAZ LAUNCHED THEIR CHANGEMAKERS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH WILL TRAIN 100 YOUNG ACTIVISTS WHO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT GIRLS' EDUCATION IN INDIA. TO DATE, THEY HAVE TRAINED 25 CHANGEMAKERS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS ON CONTENT CREATION, SOCIAL MEDIA FOR DIGITAL ADVOCACY, COMMUNITY-DRIVEN STORYTELLING, DECISION MAKER ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNITY BUILDING AND CREATING OUTCOME-ORIENTED CAMPAIGNS; SIX OF THESE FELLOWS HAVE ALSO LAUNCHED THEIR OWN CAMPAIGNS BASED ON THEIR LEARNINGS FROM THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. THESE CAMPAIGNS ARE NOW ACTIVELY ENGAGING AUDIENCES AND DECISION-MAKERS ON ACCESS TO EDUCATION FOR GIRLS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE STATES.IN BRAZIL, GRANTEE CENDRO DAS MULHERES DO CABO (CMC), LED BY EDUCATION CHAMPION CASSIA JANE SOUZA, IDENTIFIES CAUSES OF GIRLS DROPPING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL IN CABO DE SANTO AGOSTINHO AND WORKS WITH GIRLS TO ADVOCATE FOR GENDER-RESPONSIVE EDUCATION POLICIES THAT KEEP THEM IN SCHOOL. IN RESPONSE TO THEIR EFFORTS, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTED TO IMPROVING SCHOOL FACILITIES TO PROMOTE SAFER CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTS, IMPLEMENTING A MENSTRUAL DIGNITY PROGRAMME TO PROVIDE SANITARY PADS TO GIRLS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, EXPANDING THEIR RESPONSE TO SCHOOL DROPOUTS TO INCORPORATE A GENDER LENS AND IMPLEMENTING A PROGRAMME TO ADDRESS GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. IN JANUARY 2022, THE INDIA CHAPTER INITIATED A POSTCARD CAMPAIGN ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF EDUCATION, WHERE MORE THAN 55,000 GIRLS FROM 52 DISTRICTS ACROSS SIX STATES (ASSAM, BIHAR, UTTAR PRADESH, DELHI, WEST BENGAL AND ANDHRA PRADESH) WROTE TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA TO EXTEND THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION (RTE) ACT FROM 10 TO 12 YEARS OF EDUCATION. THIS CAMPAIGN WAS WIDELY COVERED IN THE MEDIA AND HELPED FURTHER EDUCATION FINANCING ADVOCACY IN INDIA BY FACILITATING EDUCATION CHAMPIONS' ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RELEVANT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AT DISTRICT AND STATE LEVELS.IN OCTOBER 2021, MALALA FUND CHAMPIONS IN ETHIOPIA SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED TO NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND PARLIAMENTARY STAKEHOLDERS FOR A RETURN TO A NORMAL LEARNING SCHEDULE RATHER THAN THE REDUCED THREE-DAY WEEK, GIVING GIRLS AND BOYS INCREASED ACCESS TO EDUCATION. GIRL PROGRAMME:IN 2021, MALALA FUND LAUNCHED THE FELLOWSHIP COMPONENT OF OUR GIRL PROGRAMME, WELCOMING 10 YOUNG WOMEN FROM BRAZIL, ETHIOPIA INDIA, NIGERIA AND PAKISTAN. INSPIRED BY MALALA'S STORY, THE FELLOWSHIP IS DESIGNED TO ESTABLISH A NEW GENERATION OF YOUNG FEMALE LEADERS WHO CAN SHAPE ATTITUDES AND AGENDAS AROUND GENDER EQUALITY, ULTIMATELY CREATING PROGRESS FOR GIRLS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND AROUND THE WORLD. DURING THE 18-MONTH PROGRAM, FELLOWS DEVELOP THEIR LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY SKILLS, CREATE A PROJECT TO HELP GIRLS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND WORK WITH OTHER YOUNG WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD.IN NOVEMBER, TWO MALALA FUND FELLOWS FROM BRAZIL TRAVELED TO COP26 WITH MALALA FUND TO SPEAK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND EDUCATION. THEY SHARED HOW POOR AIR QUALITY IN RURAL QUILOMBOLA COMMUNITIES IS FORCING STUDENTS TO MISS CLASS AND DISCUSSED HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS AFFECTING GIRLS' EDUCATION AROUND THE WORLD, HIGHLIGHTING EXPERIENCES OF OTHER FELLOWS FROM NIGERIA AND PAKISTAN.IN ADDITION TO THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME, IN 2021 WE LAUNCHED OUR GIRL PROGRAMME FEMINIST FUND AND AWARDED $1,411,000 GRANTS TO PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS.GLOBAL ADVOCACY/RESEARCH:TO MARK INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY IN MARCH 2022, MALALA COLLABORATED WITH THE ECONOMIST AS THE FIRST-EVER GUEST EDITOR OF THE MAGAZINE'S OPINION SECTION. MALALA'S ESSAY FOCUSES ON THE GROWING GIRLS' EDUCATION EMERGENCY AND HOW CRISES - FROM CLIMATE AND COVID-19 TO AFGHANISTAN - IMPACT GIRLS' EDUCATION AND HOW FAILING TO INVEST IN EDUCATION ONLY EXACERBATES AND EXTENDS THESE CRISES. TO HELP REACH MORE AUDIENCES, THE ECONOMIST AGREED TO LIFT THE PAYWALL ON THE ESSAYS FOR A LIMITED TIME. THE PROJECT REACHED AN ESTIMATED 7 MILLION PEOPLE.THE MALALA FUND RELEASED RESEARCH ON THE GIRLS' EDUCATION CRISIS IN AGFHANISTAN, WHERE MALALA FUND HAS WORKED SINCE 2017. MALALA FUND'S NEW POLICY BRIEFING, RIGHTS IN JEOPARDY: HOW THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD RESPOND TO THE GIRLS' EDUCATION CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN, OUTLINES FOUR KEY ACTIONS THAT INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL COMMUNITIES MUST TAKE TO BEGIN TO ALLEVIATE THE GIRLS' EDUCATION CRISIS AND DELIVER ON THEIR COMMITMENTS TO GIRLS.THE MALALA FUND'S ADVOCACY EFFORTS CONTRIBUTED TO A NUMBER OF NEW FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS TOTALLING AT LEAST $2.3 BILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS FROM NORWAY, THE U.K., THE U.S., THE EUROPEAN UNION AND GERMANY. THESE COMMITMENTS WERE MADE LARGELY TO THE GPE REPLENISHMENT. A QUOTE FROM MALALA WAS INCLUDED IN THE GPE'S CASE FOR INVESTMENT DOCUMENT AND ONE SENIOR GPE SOURCE NOTED IN A CALL THAT "THE FACT THAT THE CASE FOR GIRLS' EDUCATION IS SO WELL ACCEPTED [AMONG DONORS] IS DOWN TO MALALA AND MALALA FUND."