Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has urged the global community to address the pressing crisis of girls’ education, highlighting its impact on societal progress and economic growth.

Speaking at the "International Conference on Girls' Education in Muslim Communities: Challenges and Opportunities" in Islamabad on Sunday, Malala said, "This crisis costs our economy hundreds of billions in lost growth and undermines the health, safety, and security of our people."

The two-day event brought together global experts and educators to discuss challenges in girls' education across Muslim countries.

Malala warned that society cannot flourish without resolving this issue, as it contradicts Islam's core values of seeking knowledge. She emphasised the need for honest discussions, particularly about severe violations like those in Yemen, Sudan, and Afghanistan.

"In Afghanistan, an entire generation of girls is being robbed of their future," she said, calling out the Taliban for making it the only country in the world to ban girls from education.

Since reclaiming power in 2021, the Taliban government has imposed strict Islamic laws, barring women and girls from secondary and higher education, many public sector jobs, and much of public life—a situation the UN has labelled “gender apartheid.”

Despite being invited, Taliban representatives did not attend the event, Pakistan’s Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui confirmed.

“Simply put, the Taliban do not see women as human beings,” Yousafzai said, adding that they justify their actions with cultural and religious reasoning.

Shot in the face by the Pakistani Taliban in 2012 for her advocacy of girls' education, Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 and has since championed global education rights for women and girls.