Malala Yousafzai – Youngest Nobel Prize Laureate
Pakistani-born Malala Yousafzai is an advocate for girls’ education and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate. Her mission began – when she was only 10 years old – at a time when the Taliban banned girls from attending schools in her home village in Pakistan. After surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban for her activism, she became a global figure in the fight for the rights of girls and women across our planet. To this day, Malala continues to champion education for girls worldwide. Her courage and resilience have inspired many millions.
Malala was born in 1997 in the beautiful Swat Valley of Pakistan. From a young age, she was passionate about education, inspired by her father’s advocacy for education and his own school. But in 2007, the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley, banning girls from attending schools. This drastic change in her community motivated Malala to speak out. At the age of only 10, Malala gave her first public speech titled “How Dare the Taliban Take Away My Basic Right to Education?” at a local press club in Peshawar. In early 2009, she began writing a blog under the pseudonym “Gul Makai” for BBC Urdu, detailing her life under Taliban rule and her desire to continue her education.
On October 9, 2012, Malala was on a bus returning home from school when they were stopped by Taliban forces. A gunman boarded the bus and shot the 15-year-old Malala in the head. As a young child she had become a threat to Taliban rule. She was critically injured but miraculously survived after extensive medical treatment in Pakistan and in the UK. Doctors in Peshawar, Pakistan performed emergency surgery to reduce the swelling in her brain then the Pakistani government arranged for Malala to be transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England, which specializes in treating military personnel with severe injuries.
Malala underwent multiple surgeries, including the removal of the bullet and the reconstruction of her skull with a titanium plate. She also received a cochlear implant to restore hearing in her left ear, which had been damaged by the bullet. Malala was placed in a medically induced coma for ten days to help her body heal. After waking, the fight was not over. She faced a long road to recovery with a long and intensive rehabilitation process.
The attack sparked international outrage and support for Malala, highlighting the global issue of girls’ education. People around the world express their solidarity and admiration for Malala, from ordinary people to celebrities, leaders and political figures.
In 2014, at the age of 17, Malala became the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate, sharing the Peace Prize with Kailash Satyarthi for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.
Malala remains active in public speaking and advocacy, using her platform to raise awareness about girls’ education and other social issues. She graduated from Oxford University in 2020 with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.
Despite the trauma, Malala remained determined to continue her support for girls’ education and the empowering of young women to achieve their full potential. She and her father co-founded the Malala Fund to support related initiatives worldwide, advocating for local activists who are focused on ensuring 12 years of free, safe, and quality education for young females. The Fund has expanded its reach across various continents, focusing on regions where girls face significant barriers – in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Turkey. The Fund also supports the education of refugee children throughout the world.
Malala has authored several books, including her memoir I Am Malala, and has spoken at numerous international forums, including at the United Nations. Her mission is to create a world where every girl can learn and develop their God-given talents. The Fund works with governments and international organizations to influence social changes that promote girls’ education – publishing detailed reports on the state of girls’ education globally – always highlighting challenges and progress.
Malala believes in peaceful protest and dialogue as a means to achieve social change. She is a devout Muslim and often speaks about how her faith inspires her activism and her commitment to justice. Her journey from a young girl in Swat Valley to a global symbol of resilience and advocacy for education continues to inspire millions around the world.
We would add our own question. “How can one girl, now a young woman, influence the world so profoundly?” Our answer – the world is sadly void of leaders who selflessly aim to cure the ills that threaten world stability, peace and prosperity. We are convinced that the overlming majority of humans on our planet are thirsting for and more than open to such leadership when it emerges – often where least expected. Malala is one such leader. That’s why this single young woman has already made such a profound positive impact.
There are others who, often at great personal risk, speak out to audiences of average citizens looking for good leadership – at a time when so desperately needed on the global stage. Malala will certainly inspire others to boldly step forward. Let us rejoice and celebrate them when they appear. Let us not remain silent ourselves, but add our voices to their causes. Let us join hands and be ready to make whatever sacrifices are necessary to help good leaders change the world for the better. Let ‘we the people’ raise our voices and dare to become what we desire and deserve to be – a force united behind the common goals of peace, security, liberty, opportunity, and the ability to pursue our dreams.
