Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, are joining activist Malala Yousafzai in a video chat about the challenges girls face in accessing education amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The couple’s conversation with the 23-year-old education campaigner will be released on the Malala Fund’s YouTube channel and website on October 11, to mark the International Day of the Girl Child.
The video chat covers how the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on young women’s access to education. Research by the Malala Fund has suggested that 20 million secondary-school aged girls may never return to the classroom after the health crisis is over.
Yousafzai, who survived a shot in the head after being targeted for campaigning for girls’ education in Pakistan, went on to become the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2014. She graduated with a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics from Oxford University in June.
Meghan, now based in California with Harry to seek financial independence from the British monarchy, has campaigned on education for girls for some time. She has spoken about gender equality at forums including the UN Women Conference in 2015.
In 2011, the United Nations declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child to promote girls’ rights and address the challenges girls face around the world.