Abe meets, praises Malala

March 24, 2019

Tokyo, March 22 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday held talks with Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai and praised her for not giving in to pressure and violence and calling on the world to focus on the need for education for women.

At a joint press conference after their meeting at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Abe expressed his readiness to discuss ways to realize a society where women can shine as a key agenda item at the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, western Japan, in June.

Malala said, "As the chair of this year's G-20, I hope Prime Minister Abe in Japan will lead on girls' education and encourage all leaders to commit to new funding to prepare girls for the future of work."

In her blog posts, Malala, from Pakistan, emphasized the importance of education for women while writing about girls' repressed school life. She was shot in the head during an Islamic militant attack in 2012.

She continued her campaign after the incident and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

Abe also met with U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet at the prime minister's office and pledged continued efforts to create a society where women can shine. Jiji Press