Ex-UK PM Brown supports Malala's call for girls' education in Pakistan By Reza Sayah, CNN November 10, 2012 -- Updated 1350 GMT (2150 HKT) Ex-UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown delivers girls' education petition Islamabad Brown: The march for the right to girls' education cannot be stopped U.N.: Pakistan spends seven times more on military than on primary education Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Malala Yousefzai now has a day named after her and two-million people from around the world pledging to carry on her fight for girls' education. The United Nations has declared November 10 as Malala day to honor the 15 year-old Pakistani teenage activist who was shot in the head one month ago by the Taliban, which wanted to silence her campaign for education. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown marked the occasion here on Friday by delivering a petition to the Pakistani government with one million signatures calling on Islamabad to enroll every Pakistani boy and girl in primary school. Brown: Time to turn slogan into reality Pakistani civil society organizations matched the U.N.'s signature drive with a petition of their own, signed by 1.2 million Pakistanis supporting Malala's cause. "The march for the right to girls' education cannot be stopped," Brown told students during a visit to a girls' school in Islamabad. Indeed it is unstoppable. In Pakistan, girls' education has long been hampered by widespread poverty, a bias against girls' education by hardline Islamist groups, and what many view as a corrupt government. Malala: From near death to recovery According to U.N. figures, 32 million of the world's school-aged girls do not get an education. Roughly 10 percent of those girls -- 3.1 million -- live in Pakistan. In a country where nearly 50 million Pakistanis can't read or write, two-thirds are women -- the third highest number of illiterate women in the world. A Population Council report this year said Pakistan spends less public money on education than any other south Asian country. The U.N. says Pakistan spends seven times more on the military than on primary education. Despite the statistics, the attack on Malala appears to have brought renewed hope and energy in the campaign to educate Pakistan's girls. "There's a huge momentum now," Brown said. People are saying I was silent before but I'm not going to be silent as long as girls are denied an education. But for now, there's only the promise of help. The Pakistani government, the U.N., the World Bank, and other international organizations have set an April 2013 deadline to come up with a plan to provide education to all of Pakistan's school-aged children by the end of 2015. October 19, 2012 -- Updated 1744 GMT (0144 HKT) Hundreds of messages from around the world were received by CNN for Malala Yousufzai, the Pakistani teen activist attacked by the Taliban. November 6, 2012 -- Updated 0132 GMT (0932 HKT) The sister of a man suspected in the shooting of Malala Yousufzai has apologized to the victim, saying: "He has brought shame on our family." October 26, 2012 -- Updated 1149 GMT (1949 HKT) In a message of defiance to the Taliban, authorities in Swat have decided to rename a government college after Malala Yousafzai October 19, 2012 -- Updated 1428 GMT (2228 HKT) The Pakistani Taliban sought to silence the teenage education activist Malala Yousufzai. Now it's the news media and journalists they threaten. October 20, 2012 -- Updated 1639 GMT (0039 HKT) Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai stood with the aid of nurses Friday for the first time since her shooting and is "communicating very freely." October 17, 2012 -- Updated 1639 GMT (0039 HKT) In an exclusive interview, Kainat Ahmad, who was shot with Malala Yousufzai, talks to CNN about last week's attack by the Pakistani Taliban. October 17, 2012 -- Updated 1622 GMT (0022 HKT) The Pakistani Taliban attack on a teenage girl is the latest in a long list of assaults against the military and civilians, analysts say. October 16, 2012 -- Updated 2052 GMT (0452 HKT) Eleven-year-olds sometimes are kept awake by monsters they can't see. But Malala began believing that she was stronger than the things that scared her. October 17, 2012 -- Updated 0918 GMT (1718 HKT) A week ago, a Pakistani schoolgirl who dared to speak out against the Taliban took a bullet to the head for her act of defiance. October 16, 2012 -- Updated 1151 GMT (1951 HKT) The 14-year-old Pakistani girl who was shot in the head simply because she wants an education has become an international symbol of defiance against the Taliban. October 15, 2012 -- Updated 1545 GMT (2345 HKT) The Pakistan Taliban's attack on Malala Yousufzai has reawakened the country to the threat of extremists, says Frida Ghitis. October 15, 2012 -- Updated 1541 GMT (2341 HKT) The story of Malala's fight to attend school has exposed our failure to deliver on universal education, writes former British PM Gordon Brown.