US Congress passes Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act

It aims to expand scholarships for Pakistani women.

The US Congress has passed a bill named after Pakistani Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai aimed at expanding the number of scholarships to women in Pakistan.

The scholarships will be awarded under a merit and needs-based programme.

The Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act was passed by the US House of Representatives in March 2020, according to the information posted on the US Congress website.

The US Senate recently adopted the bill by a voice vote. It has now been sent to President Donald Trump to sign it into a law.

The bill requires the USAID to award at least 50 per cent of scholarships to Pakistani women, the Radio Pakistan reported.

These scholarships will be provided across a range of academic disciplines and in accordance with the existing eligibility criteria.

In 2012, a Taliban gunman shot Yousafzai in the head for campaigning for girls’ education but she survived. She became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

The Pakistani Nobel laureate graduated from the University of Oxford in June 2020.

https://www.samaa.tv/education/2021/01/us-congress-passes-malala-yousafzai-scholarship-act/