Empowering Girls with Human Rights in Pakistan
The Republic of Pakistan was established in 1947, with a constitution that provides for fundamental rights. However, abuses such as illegal detention, violence against women and girls and discrimination against religious minorities have denied citizens their human rights.
Mansoor Khoso, a passionate human rights activist and educator, is changing this by bringing human rights education to Pakistan’s schools.
Driven by his own struggle to receive a higher education, he has dedicated his life to building a sound education system in Pakistan, particularly for young girls who still face denial of education. For instance, consider Malala Yousafzai’s story; she was shot in the left side of her head for speaking out publicly on behalf of girls and their right to learn.
“Girls are the backbone of their households,” says Khoso. “One educated woman can change a whole family.”
He became a primary school teacher and soon realized the obstacles he would have to overcome. Even before the pandemic, over 5 million primary school-aged children in Pakistan were out of school, most of them girls.
“There is a lack of educational facilities for girls and a lack of awareness of the need to educate them,” shares Khoso. “People in my country believe that education is a matter of destiny and not a basic right. This makes it difficult to convince people to send their children, particularly daughters, to school.”
However, when Khoso found the Youth for Human Rights International website, he knew he had the tools to help him achieve his dream. He immediately ordered the Human Rights Education Kit and added the materials to the regular school curriculum, thus making the study of human rights an integral part of his students’ learning experience. “Now all my students know that women have equal rights to education, property and life as men do,” states Khoso.
He shares the story of Eman, a young girl who had dropped out of school because there were no educational facilities above Grade 5 in her village. After Khoso enlightened her on the importance of education, she decided to move in with her grandmother, where she could access higher education. She is now studying in Grade 10.
“There is a lot of work to be done. But I plan to use the education package to teach many more people about their rights,” says Khoso. “My dream is that one day I will establish a school for higher education for girls in my area.”
If you are an educator like Khoso, order your Human Rights Education Kit at HumanRights.com/educator and help contribute to making human rights education a reality in your area.
