In general, teenagers hate school. They despise going to school and they dislike doing work; Malala Yousafzai is an exception. An inspirational teen who almost lost her life while fighting for her right to an education.
Born and raised in Pakistan, Malala grew up surrounded by a lack of progressive views, especially concerning gender equality, with Pakistan being known as the sixth most dangerous country for women. Even though women have held positions of power such as the prime minister, in more rural areas and in specific communities, more oppressive trends are much more prevalent.
The presence of terrorist organizations such as the Taliban means that women’s rights and modern developments have been removed, as well as any western influence that ever existed.
In 2008, her father ran a school for girls due to the prevailing gender segregation practices in some parts of Pakistan. The Swat Valley that she lived in was taken over by the Taliban in the same year. They banned many things such as televisions and music, but the ban that Malala was most opposed to was the barring of girls from pursuing an education. Within the year, she gave a speech in Peshawar, Pakistan, titled “How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?”. The year after, she was a BBC blogger, writing about living under Taliban rule, but her identity was not revealed; rather she wrote under the alias of Gul Makai. However, her identity was leaked in December of that year which not only put her in danger but her family as well. For the next few years, Malala continued to speak out about women’s education.
She received national and international awards for her amazing activist work in 2011, with her being awarded Pakistan’s National Youth Peace Prize and the International Children’s Peace Prize.
When Malala and her family found out about the Taliban’s intention to murder or harm Malala, they did not rush to act. Some might say it was their naivety but they were just good people who wanted to believe in the good of the world when they chose to think that the Taliban would not drop so low as to harm a child.
In 2012, the event that sparked international coverage of Malala’s story occurred. At just 15 years old Malala witnessed armed men board her school bus. He addressed the entirety of the bus, asking for her specifically, with her identity being given away by the reactions of her classmates. Three were injured in the attack, with a bullet becoming embedded in Malala’s skull. She was moved to a military hospital in Peshawar where the left side of her skull was removed to help with the brain swelling but she was later moved to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, England for the rest of her treatment. Malala has had to undergo multiple surgeries and treatments to be able to return to school, due to extensive brain damage. In 2013, on her 16th birthday, Malala gave a speech addressing the United Nations General Assembly about equality in education all over the world, urging a change in policies to improve access to education. Following the attack, Malala has spoken about how the Taliban has evoked courage and bravery in her, not fear. Her story was so inspirational that the Secretary-General of the UN at the time, Ban Ki-moon, labeled July 16th as Malala day, to recognize her sacrifice and drive for fighting what is right. In the years to follow, Malala wrote an autobiography called ‘I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up For Education And Was Shot By The Taliban’. She has also started an organization called the Malala Fund which aims to reach the areas of the world where girls lack access to a good education.
Today, Malala is an inspiration to many children, teenagers, and adults alike. She risked her own life to stand up for her right to education and continues to fight on behalf of girls around the globe. Not only that, but she refuses to be intimidated by the threats the Taliban sent to her and her family. She is an example of exemplary actions, demonstrating how a girl living in a small village in Pakistan can become a world-renowned activist. Even though she now lives in the UK and has graduated from one of the top universities, she has not stopped speaking out on behalf of the girls that do not have a voice. She demonstrates how age is not a barrier in doing what you believe to be right, neither is your gender or background. Injustice is all around, you have the power to step up and speak about it.
“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” - Malala Yousafzai
Writer: Shivika Kumar
Editor: Molly McEwen
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