LAHORE: Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai urged all the graduates and students of the Lahore University of Management and Sciences (Lums) to remember three things in life: be hopeful, take action and go ahead with values.

She said this while addressing the first-ever virtual convocation ceremony of Lums on the varsity’s Facebook page.

The young activist told the graduates that they were graduating at a time when uncertainty could not be more certain and a global pandemic and economic recession had shaken the health, education, political and economic system. “We must remember that the pandemic has affected all of us, but it did not affect us equally: many of us have lost our loved ones and most have lost jobs. But many poets and thinkers will tell you that the darkest moments are followed by the brightest,” she said during her address.

“Our world may never be the same after this crisis, but I hope it will be better. So go with the hope that you can make this world a better place for everyone.”

Nobel Laureate speaks on girls’ education, women’s rights, gender bias

Malala went on to say: “We must act to build a Pakistan that treats each and every citizen equally regardless of their gender, skin colour, ethnicity and religion. A Pakistan where everyone feels safe to raise their voice, where your family members don’t disappear overnight, a Pakistan where leaders prioritise welfare of the state and invest more in education, health, environment, science and technology and a Pakistan which protects minorities -- the most marginalised and vulnerable groups -- and stands for stronger democracy and freedom,” she stressed.

She congratulated the first graduating class of the Lums School of Education and said it was her father’s dream to send her to study at Lums.

Malala said Pakistan had the second highest number of out-of-school children and more than 20 million children between the ages of five and 16 were out of school. They faced too many barriers, including social norms, absence of infrastructure and lack of teachers, transport and school facilities. Across all provinces, generation after generation, especially girls don’t have the education that their male counterparts did.

“I know these numbers can seem overwhelming, but imagine that in our lifetime we can see every girl in Pakistan in school. We can see every young woman graduate with at least 12 years of free, safe and quality education,” she added.

The Nobel Prize winner further said data showed that when a country educated all girls and sent every girl to school, the economy grew, public health improved, the risk shrank and the environment became cleaner and safer. “Imagine the difference girls’ education makes to our country.”

Malala said she was often asked as to what a person can do and how they can help. She firstly urged the governments to invest more in girls’ education, secondly her organisation, Malala Fund, supports and advocates across Pakistan, asking the governments of the provinces with high numbers of out-of-school girls to spend at least 20 per cent of their budget on education. “I believe this is the most important investment our country can make and thirdly, speak out against gender bias and harmful social norms at home, in a classroom and in society.”

If a girl is told from a younger age that her values lay in house work, marriage and motherhood, it limits her ambitions and her opportunity. “Families without enough money often prioritise education of boys over girls,” she lamented.

She urged all the women to believe in themselves and become role models for young girls so they could aspire to become engineers, teachers, scientists, political leaders, chief executive officers and doctors.

She also urged the men to play their role to stand by their sisters and daughters, speak out for girls and women’s rights and stand by them, and sometimes step back to create space for them for equal presence.

Quoting her father, Malala said: “Don’t ask me for what I did for my daughter, but ask me what I did not do. I did not clip her wings.”

Lastly, she recited Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poetry: “Hum parwarish-i-loho qalam kerty rahain gay.”

The Lums leadership, including Rector Shahid Hussain, Founding Pro-Chancellor Syed Babar Ali, Pro-Chancellor Abdur Razzaq Dawood and Vice Chancellor Dr Arshad Ahmad, shared congratulatory messages with the 1,092 graduating students. Parents of the graduates, Lums faculty and staff also attended the virtual ceremony.

At the convocation, Lums alumni also shared memories of their time spent at the alma mater. They were joined by deans of different schools, who congratulated the outgoing students and wished them luck in their future endeavours.

Degrees were then conferred online to the graduating students, and those winning medals or featuring on the Dean’s Honour lists were recognised for their performance.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2020