COVID-19 Girls’ Education Initiative | Malala Fund
When COVID-19 shut down schools worldwide in April 2020, Malala Fund launched a three-year initiative to help girls continue learning. This effort involved partnering with local organizations, conducting research, and advocating for girls’ education at global and national levels.
I spearheaded media strategy — crafting messages, securing coverage for our research papers, training spokespersons, and collaborating with Malala Yousafzai on opinion pieces ahead of key global decision-making forums. Our goal was to raise awareness about the challenges faced by young women during the pandemic and how leaders could support them.
Publicity Highlights
On International Day of the Girl in 2020, Malala Yousafzai spoke with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They discussed the barriers preventing 130 million girls from going to school and why it’s essential that we champion every girl’s right to learn.
We produced this video with Studio Space Cowboys. I led on talent relations, message positioning and publicity. The video raised $50,000 for Malala Fund. Press coverage reached an estimated 4 million people.
Malala speaks with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Malala Fund published a research report “Girls’ Education and COVID-19” which showed that an estimated 20 million girls in low- and lower-middle-income countries would never return to the classroom post-pandemic. It also made recommendations to world leaders on how to take action to keep girls learning.
I led on publicity efforts. The report received widespread coverage, including mentions in Ad Age, BBC, Business Insider, CNN, DAWN, Forbes, Fortune, Devex, Reuters, VOA, Teen Vogue and The Washington Post. Malala also penned opinion essays in the Financial Times and The Guardian addressing this topic.
The “Girls’ Education and COVID-19” report remains Malala Fund’s most covered report to date.
COVID-19 Report Launch
Learn at home | Social Activation
To support students affected by the school closures, Malala first took to her Instagram Stories with a message of solidarity for her peers around the world. She then asked students to direct-message her videos of the productive ways they're spending their time at home and posted their ideas on her Instagram Stories. Students shared about learning how to paint, caring for kittens, making doughnuts, singing or studying for their online courses.
I worked to invite activists, leaders and celebrities to join in. Then-student and first-ever U.S. National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman shared tips for writing poetry and read an excerpt from her work, "In This Place, An American Lyric.” Actor Beanie Feldstein, the star of “Booksmart,” sent a video showing how she’s enjoying playing cards with her mom.
Malala Fund continued to share girls’ reflections of the pandemic’s impact on their lives for the next few years.
Dear Class of 2020 is a virtual commencement celebration. Hosted by Lebron James, along with a collection of actors, musicians and other influencers, the ‘Graduate Together’ special was a virtual graduation ceremony for the more than 3 million high school seniors in the U.S. Special appearances were made by Barack Obama, Dua Lipa, H.E.R., Zendaya, Shaquille O'Neal, Yara Shahidi, Bad Bunny, Lena Waithe and Pharrell Williams. The event aired on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TikTok and Youtube — reaching millions of viewers.
Malala contributed remarks to remind graduates and viewers to continue learning, raise awareness of the pandemic’s impact on girls and to encourage them to fight for more equal future for all.