Honourable senators, Adelaide Hoodless, a 19th century education reformer, once said: "Educate a girl and you educate a community." It is in this spirit and as a means of highlighting the immeasurable importance of girls' education that the High Commission of Canada in Pakistan and the United Nations Children's Fund organized an art competition at three schools of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan, asking 90 students ranging from primary to grade 12 to express themselves via artwork on the theme of investing in girls' education for a brighter future.

I accompanied Canada's High Commissioner to Pakistan, Heather Cruden, to Peshawar for the prize distribution ceremony, where we met with students from three schools and awarded prizes of books, not only to the students but also to principals and teachers of the schools. We also had the opportunity to visit with girls in the classroom. When the girls asked why we were there, I was able to tell them in my native tongue of Pashto that we were there to support girls' education.

The students had been provided with colour pencils and paints, as well as the freedom to express their thoughts on the empowerment of girls and boys through their drawings. The winning students' artwork is featured in a beautiful calendar entitled Educating Girls for a Brighter Future, which was collaboratively created by the High Commission of Canada in Pakistan and UNICEF.

I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the High Commission of Canada in Pakistan and thank High Commissioner Cruden for organizing the visit. I also wish to applaud her for taking the time to travel to Peshawar, especially in light of security issues, and for supporting the important issue of girls' education.