Malala Yousafzai is a 22-year-old girl born in Mingora, Swat Valley, Pakistan. She was born into a family with two involved parents. Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, is an educator and activist. She attended a girls school actually created by her father, and she says that he was "determined to give me every opportunity a boy would have." But, in 2008, the Taliban took over her town and ordered that girls were not allowed to go to school.
On September 1, 2008, Malala gave a speech at her local press club to protest school closings. In the winter of 2009, she began blogging for the BBC about the Taliban rule under the pen name "Gul Makai." Her efforts paid off and on November 24, 2011, Malala Yousafzai was awarded Pakistan's first Nobel Peace Prize. But, the Taliban regime did not like this, so on October 9, 2012, they set out to kill Malala. A gunman entered her bus and demanded to see Malala. He shot her on the left side of her head, and the bullet traveled down into her shoulder, which left her in critical condition. She was airlifted to England on October 15, 2019, to have surgery. Her last surgery to remove the bullet was on February 3, 2013, and she was released from the hospital on February 8, 2013.
Malala was so strong during this terrible time and began to go back to school, but in England this time, on March 19, 2013. By now, the news of her incident was known worldwide, and many people were inspired by her courage. Malala went on to establish the "Malala Fund," which fights for girls in countries like Afghanistan, Brazil, India, Lebanon, Pakistan, etc. She was named one of TIME'S Most Influential People of the Year in 2013 and then in 2014 when she was named one of TIME'S 25 Most Influential Teens. She has also received so many more awards which I have listed below!
Malala Notable Achievements:
- 2013: receives the International Children's Peace Prize
- 2013: awarded a an honorary Master of Arts from The University of Edinburgh
- 2013: receives Sakharov Prize
- 2013: awarded the United Nations Human Rights Prize
- 2014: receives a honorary doctorate in civil law from University of King's College
- 2014: awarded a joint Nobel Peace Prize with Kailash Satyarthi
- 2015: wins a Grammy for Best Children's Album for "I am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World"
- 2017: designated a UN Messenger of Peace
Malala has become a beacon of hope for young girls struggling to gain access to education in their countries. She has also inspired so many others, especially with her writing. She has written I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot By the Taliban, Malala's Magic Pencil, We Are Displaced, and Malala: My Story of Standing up for Girls Rights.
I am planning on reading more of Malala's books, and I recommend that you read them if you haven't. You can buy her books here. I hope that you enjoyed reading my last post in my series of Influential Teens. Let me know in the comments what young woman that I have written about in my "Influential Teens" series was your favorite to read about!
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