On September 17, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved, by voice vote, the Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act (S. 120), as amended.
In 2011, only 81 of the scholarships awarded to Pakistanis under the Merit and Need-Based Scholarship Program went to Pakistani women, according the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA). The legislation would codify the commitment since made by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which administers the program, to ensure that at least 50 percent of the scholarships are awarded to women.
The bill does not require any new funding, as the measure would set aside at least $3 million of the funds already appropriated to Pakistan through the Economic Support Fund for the scholarship program.
