Pre-budget seminar: More allocation sought to boost girls’ education in KP

PESHAWAR: Speakers at a seminar have demanded more budget to boost girls’ secondary education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The call was made at a pre-budget seminar convened to spotlight the state of girls’ education and its role in shaping the province’s fiscal priorities for 2025-26.

The seminar, organized jointly by Blue Veins, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women (KPCSW), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Welfare and Protection Commission (KPCWPC), National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), and Pakistan Education Champion Network, gathered diverse stakeholders.

Parliamentarians, Members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Chief Khateeb, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, legal experts, media personnel, civil society activists, education officials and young girls turned up at the event.

Muhammad Ijaz Khalil, Chief Planning Officer of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Elementary and Secondary Education Department, presented an overview of the current education budget and ongoing government schemes aimed at improving elementary and secondary education.

He reaffirmed the department’s commitment to equity in resource allocation, stating, “We recognize that equitable education begins with equitable budgeting. Our move towards a 70/30 allocation model is a step towards ensuring that girls receive the resources and opportunities they deserve. We are more focused on girls’ secondary education, where dropout is more common.”

Members of the Rise and Shine Girls’ Education Leaders Network, alongside representatives from the Joint Working Group of National Human Rights Institutions, submitted a set of recommendations to the Elementary and Secondary Education Department.

These recommendations called for targeted investment in girls’ inclusive education budgeting. Taj Muhammad, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education, expressed firm commitment to the cause, stating:

“We cannot speak of development while half our children remain underserved. Uplifting girls’ education is not a favor-it is our duty. As lawmakers, we are not only committed to prioritizing girls’ secondary education in the upcoming budget, but we also recognize the urgency of notifying and implementing the rules of the 2017 Education Act. “

Amna Durrani, Program Director at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women, emphasized the need for gender parity in education, noting, “Girls’ education is not just a women’s issue-it’s a societal priority. A gender-responsive budget is a critical step toward a more equitable and just society.”

Qamar Naseem, Program Manager at Blue Veins, highlighted the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in achieving educational justice. He said, “When policymakers, civil society, media, and faith leaders come together, we see real change. Today’s dialogue reflects the collective will to ensure that girls are not left behind.”

The seminar concluded with a consensus that education is a right, not a privilege.The stakeholders urged the government to ensure that the upcoming budget reflected a genuine commitment to girls’ education through gender-responsive planning and implementation, laying the foundation for a more just and inclusive future.