§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent initiatives she has taken to help fund and encourage the education of girls in Pakistan. [84664]
§ Clare ShortDFID is working closely with the Government of Pakistan and other donors to improve school quality and increase opportunities for girls to go to school. At the national level, DFID is supporting improvements to information systems so as to better monitor and evaluate girls' education. In the North West Frontier Province and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, DFID is supporting the development of community schools, which have been shown to be more effective in attracting girls to school. With DFID support, girls' enrolment in the Northern Areas has increased by 73 per cent. since 1997–98. Despite some progress overall, the challenges facing Pakistan remain great.