“Charter of Demand” presented in collaboration with Malala Fund
Only 37% enrollment rate and 11% female teachers highlight urgent need for educational equity
Mithi: In a significant move towards promoting girls’ education and gender equality in Tharparkar, the Thar Education Alliance (TEA) and the Coalition for Girls’ Education Financing (CGEF), in collaboration with the Malala Fund, convened a meeting of civil society representatives in Mithi. Aimed to develop the “Charter of Demand for Girls’ Education Financing in Tharparkar” and to seek collective recommendations for sustainable and equitable education reforms.
The meeting strongly urged the Government of Sindh to take immediate and concrete measures to ensure fair access to education and introduce a dedicated fund for girls’ education in Tharparkar.
Speaking on the occasion, Pratap Shivani, Chief Executive Officer TEA, shared key findings from the Annual School Census (ASC 2024–25). He revealed that the enrollment rate for girls in Tharparkar stands at only 37.5% (102,518 students), compared to 171,016 boys. This gap widens dramatically at the secondary level, where only 2,145 girls are enrolled compared to 7,976 boys.
He said that the proposed Charter aims to present community-driven and civil society-endorsed recommendations to the Sindh Government, calling for the establishment of a dedicated fund to expand learning opportunities for girls.
Shivani also highlighted that, according to the Education Department’s report, out of 6,847 teachers in the district, only 795 (11.6%) are women. To bridge this gap, the Charter recommends the recruitment of at least 2,000 new female teachers, especially for rural and remote areas, along with the introduction of residential and hard-area posting allowances to incentivize retention.
The Charter further proposes that the Government of Sindh allocate a dedicated budget for a “Girls’ Education Stipend and Retention Program” to help female students cover essential expenses such as transportation, uniforms, and learning materials.
The report also underscores the severe infrastructure gaps: only 69.8% of schools have functional washrooms, 49.1% have boundary walls, 335 schools operate without buildings, and there is a shortage of 1,020 classrooms. With a student-classroom ratio of 42:1, the quality of learning continues to suffer.
Tharparkar’s 3,663 schools have only 32 science labs, 14 libraries, 13 computer labs, and 19 LED systems, underscoring the region’s deep educational inequities. The Charter demands the provision of science and computer labs, digital learning materials, libraries, and sanitation facilities in all girls’ schools across the district.
Additionally, the Charter identifies Dahli, Chhachhro, Kaloi, and Islamkot talukas as the most disadvantaged, recommending the establishment of a “Taluka Equity Fund” to address gender disparities, teacher shortages, and the lack of basic infrastructure in these regions.
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