Political Quotes

“I thank my friend, the distinguished gentleman from Rhode Island, for yielding and for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4508, a bill to expand the pipeline of women and girls in Pakistan entering higher education. At home and abroad, women and girls face barriers to obtaining education, hindering their ability to fill their potential. Barriers include the cost of education, inadequate infrastructure, violence, cultural norms, and gender discrimination. As a result, today at least 500 million women and girls across the globe struggle with literacy. In Pakistan, the hurdles that women and girls face when seeking education are especially pronounced. In late 2008, Malala, whose name this bill is in honor of, began making the case for education for women and girls in Pakistan. Despite objections from the Taliban, she continued to advocate this cause at great personal risk. On October 9, 2012, Malala was on the way home when the Taliban ambushed her bus and shot her in the head. Remarkably, she survived. Instead of stopping her efforts, she continued to speak out, to stand up, and to step out, becoming a world-renowned figure in the fight for education. As she said before the United Nations General Assembly: ``So, let us wage a glorious struggle against illiteracy, poverty, and terrorism, let us pick up our books and our pens, they are the most powerful weapons. . . .…”