Malala’s Story
Malala is from Mingora, in northern Pakistan, where girls do not usually go to high school. But Malala loves learning. Encouraged by her father, who ran the local school, Malala broke with tradition and went to high school to continue her education.
Girls are banned from school
When the Taliban took over parts of Pakistan in 2007, everything changed. Television, music and cinema were banned, women could not go to the market and girls were stopped from going to school. 150 schools were blown up by the Taliban in 2008. “My friends and I don’t understand what is so wrong about going to school. My father says that the Taliban are afraid of pens.”
Malala’s Action
Malala took part in a peace march organized by her school, and appeared on a BBC Urdu chat show. “I was really excited,” she said, ‘”because I knew that everyone in Pakistan could hear me, but that’s why I said: How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?” That is when she started writing a blog for the BBC. Writing under a pseudonym, she described her passion for learning and the oppression of the Taliban. Her blog was an inspiration to many.
Attacked for going to school
Malala was nominated in 2011 for the International Children’s Peace Prize, in recognition of her bravery in speaking out for every girl’s right to an education. She did not win, but by now she was a global figure, invited to speak around the world. In October 2012, Taliban gunmen boarded her school bus, identified Malala, and shot her in the head.
To stop or continue
Malala was brought to the United Kingdom, where she recovered from the attack and stayed with her family. In 2013, she was awarded the International Children’s Peace Prize and given a standing ovation in The Hague. Her resolve strengthened. “After the attack,” she said, “I only had two options: stop or continue my mission. And I decided to continue. That’s the only way I can see it; even death supports my mission and I mustn’t be afraid anymore.”
A sign of hope
Malala is a symbol of hope and an inspirational role model, particularly for girls. On her 16th birthday, she gave a passionate speech to the United Nations. She was inundated with awards, culminating in the ultimate honor in 2014, the Nobel Peace Prize.
Malala, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner to date
Malala is a role model for all young changemakers around the globe. At just 17 years old, she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2014, along KidsRights’ long-time partner, children’s rights and education advocate Kailash Satyarthi.