Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai on July 7 urged world leaders to cut “eight days of military spending” in order to fund access for all children in the world to a free education.
According to an estimate by the laureate’s nonprofit group, the Malala Fund, about $39 billion would be needed each year to fund the schooling.
Speaking at a United Nations education summit in Oslo, Malala said that $39 billion is spent on military expenditures in only eight days.
Malala, who turns 18 on July 12, met with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim in June to discuss an official package of Sustainable Development Goals to be announced later in 2015.
A meeting is scheduled in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, aimed at finding ways to finance the development targets.
Malala said that “in these goals, secondary education would be ensured.”