ABUJA – Pakistani education activist, Malala Yousafzai, has urged world leaders to protect girls across the world from violence, the cruelty of forced-marriage and threat of terrorists.
Malala delivered the message on Monday in Abuja during the celebration of the Malala Day, a day set aside to highlight the importance of compulsory education for children across the globe.
She said “in my home country Pakistan, girls suffer from cruelty when they are forced to marry, leaving the school to become brides when they should be girls.
“They give birth to children when they themselves are children.
“No child anyway should be the target of conflict or violence.
“To the girls of Nigeria and across Africa and all over the world, I want to say don’t let anyone tell you that you are weaker or less than anything.
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“You are the future of your country, you are going to build up your nation and you are stronger than anything.’’
The 17-year-old activist, who survived the Taliban gun shot on her head, appealed for end to wars across the globe and asked conflict-stricken countries to embrace peace through dialogue.
She added that “we are treating each other like animals, we are no more human beings and I request that the war between Israel and Hamas should be ended.
“The conflict in Ukraine should be resolved; the bloodshed in Iraq and Syria should be stopped.
“The terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan should be eliminated and violence in Nigeria and other Middle Eastern countries should end.”
Malala said instead of spending money on arms and weapons, governments should spend more on education.
She said education remained the best weapon to fight poverty, ignorance and terrorism. (NAN)
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