She is a Pakistani women’s rights activist. When the Taliban felt girls shouldn’t go to school, she went anyway. She was later shot in the head in an assassination attempt made by the Taliban. She lived through it and has come out stronger. Malala Yousafzai is only 15 years old, and she won’t give up on her fight for girl’s education.
Malala first appeared in the news on Oct. 9, 2012 when she was shot in the head by the Taliban, according to The Huffington Post. She believed that girls should be educated too, and kept attending school even when the Taliban disagreed with her decision. According to ABC News, after being shot, she was taken to the Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, to undergo reconstructive surgery to repair her skull. Malala underwent a five-hour surgery, according to NBC News. According to the ABC News, she does not appear to have any major signs of brain damage. Since her surgeries she has been recovering.
Today she is still promoting girl’s education, proving once again to the Taliban that she won’t back down.
Malala said, “I want to serve. I want to serve the people. I want every girl, every child, to be educated. For that reason, we have organized the Malala Fund.” The Malala Fund is partnered with the Vital Voices. Vital Voices works to empower women economically by teaching them useful skills that they can use to earn money to provide for their families. They work in many different regions of the world, such as Eurasia and Africa. In addition they promote other gender inequality issues, such as violence against women. They also support women in politics. Malala is currently working with them to create a grant from the Malala Fund, which will help create a safe place for girls to go to school; it should be launched by spring 2013, according to the Malala Found.
Why do we love Malala Yousafzai?
She fought for girl’s education by blogging, speaking out, and continuing to attend school. She sacrificed her own safety for what she believed, and never once backed down. Malala has received several prestigious awards, honors, and nominations. She was nominated for Time’s 2012 Person of the Year. She won the National Youth Peace Prize in 2012. In addition she was a nominee for the International Children’s Peace Prize in 2011. In 2012 Malala was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, the youngest person ever to be nominated. According to CNN, Malala’s 16th birthday will be known as “Malala Day” in Pakistan. Malala is a modern day heroine; she is the very definition of determined. We love Malala because of her unwavering heroism and strength.
To learn more about the Malala Fund: http://www.vitalvoices.org/global-initiatives/support-malala-fund
To learn more about Vital Voices: http://www.vitalvoices.org/
Sources:
The Washington Times, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/3/pakistani-girl-shot-taliban-completes-2-surgeries-/
The Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/04/malala-yousufzai-video-statement_n_2614906.html
Vital Voices, http://www.vitalvoices.org/
The Chicago Tribune, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-16/news/ct-edit-taliban-20121016_1_taliban-spokesman-ehsanullah-ehsan-pakistan-s-swat-valley-minister-hina-rabbani-khar
CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/08/world/asia/pakistan-malala
The Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/08/malala-yousufzai-nobel-prize_n_2095993.html