Malala Fund: Empowering Every Girl to Learn and Lead
“At least 9 million girls are out of school in Pakistan. Our mission is simple: work with communities and partners so no girl is left behind—so every girl can learn, lead, and change the future,” says Nishat Riaz Khan, Chief Executive of Malala Fund Pakistan. Khan is a former Global Head at the British Council and was awarded an MBE for services to education in the UK.
Founded by Malala Yousafzai and Ziauddin Yousafzai, Malala Fund champions girls’ education globally, working with advocates, educators, and leaders to ensure every girl can learn and lead. Since 2013, Malala Fund has invested over $14.6 million in advancing girls’ education in Pakistan, supporting advocacy, improved infrastructure, and digital inclusion to ensure every girl completes 12 years of schooling.
Born and raised in Hunza Valley, northern Pakistan, Khan was the first female engineer from Gilgit-Baltistan. She initially planned to return to her home region to open a school, but her career at the British Council—culminating in oversight of higher education across 200 countries—ultimately led her to a leadership role at Malala Fund.
For Khan, the appeal of the Malala Fund lay in the clarity and scale of its mission. “12 years of free and safe education for every girl… how simple it is, but how powerful,” she said. The organisation addresses the immense challenge of millions of out-of-school girls by partnering with civil society and local communities to influence policy and promote societal acceptance of girls’ education.
Partnership is central to Malala Fund Pakistan’s strategy. The organisation collaborates with around 30 grassroots partners, embedded across the country—from Thar and Faisalabad to Hunza, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chitral, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and South Punjab. These partners, called education champions, advocate for girls’ education, support local organisations, and advance initiatives such as providing free transport in ten districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, inducting more female teachers in Sindh, and eliminating corporal punishment in Punjab and South Punjab.
Malala Fund also facilitates collaboration and knowledge-sharing through its Mighty Network platform, enabling partners from diverse regions to convene, learn from successes and failures, and co-design solutions. One key mechanism is the Joint Action Grants, which bring multiple partners together in rural areas to implement shared projects. These initiatives promote sustainability, ensuring local organisations can thrive independently while using Malala Fund’s seed funding as a catalyst.
Beyond Pakistan, Malala Fund operates in six countries: Afghanistan, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Brazil, and Nigeria—with support from U.S. and UK teams—strengthening local organisations to sustain and expand their impact.
Khan emphasizes that education is more than access; it is empowerment, safety, and responsibility. She envisions a generation of children, particularly girls, who are self-sufficient, confident, and capable of leading safely both individually and collectively.
Through targeted investments, strong partnerships, and a clear mission, Malala Fund continues to create a future where every girl can learn, lead, and shape her own path, contributing to a society that is safer, more equitable, and prepared for the next generation of leaders.
Donate to the Malala Fund to help every girl in Pakistan access 12 years of free and safe schooling: https://malala.org/
This article was developed with the assistance of AI tools.
