1. Malala Yousafzai is an advocate for girls’ education.
Even when Malala was as young as 11 and 12, she showed that she was strongly in favor of the right to education for young girls in both Pakistan and the world. In 2009, she started to write for the BBC (under a pseudonym, in order to protect herself). She wrote a blog giving details about her daily life under the harsh rule of the Taliban. Throughout this blog series, she mentioned the Taliban trying to take over all aspects of their lives, and she also made sure to talk about her strong opinions on girls’ education, and how it should be a right for all women to be educated. A quote from her blog: “I was afraid of going to school because the Taliban had issued an edict banning all girls from attending schools. Only 11 students attended the class out of 27.”
2. Malala Yousafzai was in a documentary film that detailed her experiences.
The summer after Malala began blogging for the BBC, also in 2009, a documentary was filmed about her. This documentary brought Malala to the international community’s attention and highlighted the dreadful situation that her and other young girls were facing in Pakistan. Adam B. Ellick, the creator of the documentary, spent six months following Malala and her family in Swat Valley to see the true influence of the Taliban on their daily lives. The documentary had two parts. In the first part, it showed Malala’s father, who was forced to shut down a girls’ school that he owned, which led to Malala losing her education. The second part showed the family going into exile as the Pakistani military invaded their city of Mingora; although it focused on their entire family, it allowed Malala to become an international voice for the right of female education.
3. Malala Yousafzai survived being shot by the Taliban.
In October, 2012, Malala was shot by the Taliban. Local Taliban insurgents shot her in the neck and head. The location was the Swat Valley of Pakistan. The reason for the attack was that Malala had been advocating for a girl’s right to an education, which the Taliban disagreed with. She was only 14 years old. Thankfully, she survived the attack, despite the Taliban’s belief that female education is an “obscenity.”
4. Malala Yousafzai opened a nonprofit organization.
After Malala was shot by the Taliban, rather than being defeated, she regrouped and committed herself to the fight for women’s education. In fall of 2013, the Malala Fund was officially launched by Malala Yousafzai. The aim of the organization is to help young girls attend school and to raise awareness on how badly young girls have been treated in Pakistan and in other developing countries. Due to Malala’s international fame, the Malala Fund has been a huge success. There are three objectives to the fund: to invest in education innovation, to raise awareness and tell the stories of those who are fighting for education, and to make girls’ education a global priority.
5. Malala Yousafzai has won multiple peace prizes.
Throughout the years, Malala has been recognized for her advocacy and bravery through a number of prizes. For example, she was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize in 2011 for her experience with BBC, her role in the 2009 documentary, and for her refusal to stop going to school despite the edict of the Taliban. In the same year, she won Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize. Now that prize has been renamed to the National Malala Peace Prize. There is no doubt that Malala will win more prizes and will stay committed to her role as an advocate for girls’ education all around the world. She is an inspiring person and at the young age of 16 has done incredible things. She will likely continue to do so throughout her lifetime.
Even when Malala was as young as 11 and 12, she showed that she was strongly in favor of the right to education for young girls in both Pakistan and the world. In 2009, she started to write for the BBC (under a pseudonym, in order to protect herself). She wrote a blog giving details about her daily life under the harsh rule of the Taliban. Throughout this blog series, she mentioned the Taliban trying to take over all aspects of their lives, and she also made sure to talk about her strong opinions on girls’ education, and how it should be a right for all women to be educated. A quote from her blog: “I was afraid of going to school because the Taliban had issued an edict banning all girls from attending schools. Only 11 students attended the class out of 27.”
2. Malala Yousafzai was in a documentary film that detailed her experiences.
The summer after Malala began blogging for the BBC, also in 2009, a documentary was filmed about her. This documentary brought Malala to the international community’s attention and highlighted the dreadful situation that her and other young girls were facing in Pakistan. Adam B. Ellick, the creator of the documentary, spent six months following Malala and her family in Swat Valley to see the true influence of the Taliban on their daily lives. The documentary had two parts. In the first part, it showed Malala’s father, who was forced to shut down a girls’ school that he owned, which led to Malala losing her education. The second part showed the family going into exile as the Pakistani military invaded their city of Mingora; although it focused on their entire family, it allowed Malala to become an international voice for the right of female education.
3. Malala Yousafzai survived being shot by the Taliban.
In October, 2012, Malala was shot by the Taliban. Local Taliban insurgents shot her in the neck and head. The location was the Swat Valley of Pakistan. The reason for the attack was that Malala had been advocating for a girl’s right to an education, which the Taliban disagreed with. She was only 14 years old. Thankfully, she survived the attack, despite the Taliban’s belief that female education is an “obscenity.”
4. Malala Yousafzai opened a nonprofit organization.
After Malala was shot by the Taliban, rather than being defeated, she regrouped and committed herself to the fight for women’s education. In fall of 2013, the Malala Fund was officially launched by Malala Yousafzai. The aim of the organization is to help young girls attend school and to raise awareness on how badly young girls have been treated in Pakistan and in other developing countries. Due to Malala’s international fame, the Malala Fund has been a huge success. There are three objectives to the fund: to invest in education innovation, to raise awareness and tell the stories of those who are fighting for education, and to make girls’ education a global priority.
5. Malala Yousafzai has won multiple peace prizes.
Throughout the years, Malala has been recognized for her advocacy and bravery through a number of prizes. For example, she was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize in 2011 for her experience with BBC, her role in the 2009 documentary, and for her refusal to stop going to school despite the edict of the Taliban. In the same year, she won Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize. Now that prize has been renamed to the National Malala Peace Prize. There is no doubt that Malala will win more prizes and will stay committed to her role as an advocate for girls’ education all around the world. She is an inspiring person and at the young age of 16 has done incredible things. She will likely continue to do so throughout her lifetime.
