Pakistani mountaineer Naila Kiani on Sunday highlighted the importance of education for girls, describing it as the highest peak one could climb. Kiani, the only woman in Pakistan to have summitted 11 out of the world’s 14 highest peaks, emphasized that every girl deserved the opportunity to receive an education.
Appointed as the National Goodwill Ambassador for Girls’ Education in May, Kiani has taken on a mission to shed light on the issues facing girls’ education and to advocate for educational reforms through her social media platforms.
In a telephonic interview with APP from Dubai, Kiani recounted her journey, which began in the narrow, winding alleys of her hometown in Rawalpindi, where she first discovered her love for climbing. Despite her global achievements in mountaineering, her heart remains with the girls back home, whose dreams are often stifled by societal and economic barriers.
“My education has been my most reliable anchor, enabling me to dream and achieve beyond the ordinary. I dreamed of touching the sky. Education gave me the wings to reach those heights,” Kiani said.
As a goodwill ambassador, Kiani is focusing on three key areas: advocacy, mentorship, and resource mobilization. She believes these pillars can transform the educational landscape for girls in Pakistan. “Climbing is just like achieving your dreams, and each step, no matter how small, brings you closer to the top,” she explained.
Kiani stated that education was her greatest achievement, surpassing even her mountaineering feats. The government recognized this by appointing her as a goodwill ambassador for girls’ education. She shared that her journey from a federal public school in Rawalpindi to Queen Mary University in London, where she studied Aerospace Engineering, was made possible through the dedicated efforts of her mother.
“I had a very tough routine during my education in London. I worked at night and studied during the day. I had sleepless nights for about four or five years to complete my degree,” she recalled. “My struggle for education was higher than the mountains. People know me because of my mountaineering, but I reached there through my education, which gave me the strength to utilize in life. No one had ever thought in Pakistan that a Rawalpindi girl would climb the highest mountains within two years. I’m much blessed.”
Kiani emphasized the need to integrate education within cultural norms and practices, noting that the mindset in regions resistant to girls’ education is changing over time. “The most important thing is we should not go against the culture of the areas where we want to embed education,” she stressed.
She has been tasked with raising awareness about girls’ education, inspiring them, and promoting government initiatives, including IT, AI, and infrastructure development. Kiani hopes to make a meaningful contribution as the ambassador, drawing on her own educational experiences to inspire others.
“Education was the main source of my achievements in sports, and I hope to make a meaningful contribution as the ambassador,” she concluded.
