Tabadlab advocates for bold reforms to reduce teacher shortages that prevent girls from completing secondary education.
Across Pakistan, millions of adolescent girls are denied the chance to learn due to widespread systemic challenges. From a lack of qualified teachers to unsafe school routes, the odds are stacked against them. More than 100,000 teaching positions remain vacant across the country, according to Tabadlab, a policy think tank and Malala Fund grantee partner — deepening the crisis keeping 6 million adolescent girls out of school.
Compounding factors contributing to teacher shortages, such as budget constraints, inadequate training, low salaries and better career opportunities in other sectors, directly undermine girls’ ability to access and complete secondary school.
Tabadlab is addressing these challenges through direct advocacy to policymakers and a public campaign calling for at least one teacher for every classroom. By using data from the Pakistan Institute of Education, they pinpoint teacher shortage hotspots and strategically target those areas.
“We want to drive several transformative outcomes [through the campaign],” says Fahad Zafar, Education Manager at Tabadlab. “Most critically, we want to ensure that every child, particularly girls, has uninterrupted access to quality teaching — something only possible when a trained and motivated teacher is consistently present.”
Currently, Tabadlab is working on a digital campaign that amplifies the voices of students and parents affected by these shortages. By telling their stories and building public urgency and momentum around this often overlooked barrier to girls’ education, Tabadlab is advocating for large-scale systemic change.
Additionally, by advocating for policies that strengthen the education system and increase the supply of teachers, Tabadlab is working to improve the recruitment, training and retention of qualified teachers. Targeting government decision-makers, the organisation is raising awareness about the vital role that teachers play in shaping student outcomes and narrowing gender disparities in the classroom.
“There is a pressing need to strengthen the narrative around education inputs — particularly the pivotal role of teachers, alongside infrastructure and financing,” says Fahad.
Educators do more than instruct; they build students’ confidence, unlock potential and shape futures. When schools lack trained educators, classrooms are overcrowded, teachers are overburdened and students — especially girls — suffer. Without guidance, girls struggle to retain lessons, lose motivation and fall behind. This academic struggle often leads parents to withdraw them from school altogether.
“Parents are not willing to keep girls enrolled because they don't see the desired outcome from sending their girls to schools,” Fahad explains. This creates a harmful cycle: girls underperform due to systemic neglect, which reinforces social beliefs that girls’ education is unimportant.
Currently, Pakistan spends less than 2% of its GDP on education, far below the global benchmark of 4-6% outlined in the Education 2030 Framework under the Sustainable Development Goals. This underinvestment limits teacher training and reduces the incentives necessary to keep educators in the classroom.
As Malala Fund deepens its work in Pakistan to unlock more resources for education, we’re proud to advocate alongside partners like Tabadlab, who are advancing bold reforms and reshaping the systems that hold girls back. Together, we’re ensuring that more girls can complete their education and choose their own futures.
