Malala's Brave Defiance: Breaking Laws To Change The World

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist who, at the age of 15, survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban for her advocacy of girls' education. In 2009, when she was just 11 years old, Yousafzai began anonymously blogging for the BBC about her life under Taliban rule and her desire to attend school. Her outspoken activism made her a target, and in 2012, she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman while on a school bus. Despite the assassination attempt, Yousafzai continued her fight for girls' education and, in 2014, she became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Malala's activism began at age 11

Malala Yousafzai was born on 12 July 1997 in Mingora, Pakistan. Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, was a teacher and education activist who ran a girls' school in their village. He encouraged his daughter to pursue an education and speak out against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) when they took control of the Swat Valley in 2007 and banned girls from attending school.

In 2008, at the age of 11, Malala gave her first speech at a local press club in Peshawar, asking, "How Dare the Taliban Take Away My Basic Right to Education?". Around the same time, she began writing a blog for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) under the pseudonym Gul Makai, detailing her life under Taliban rule and her desire to go to school. Malala's advocacy for girls' education continued despite the dangers she faced living in an area controlled by the Taliban.

In 2012, at the age of 15, Malala was shot by the Taliban while on her way home from school. She was airlifted to a military hospital in Peshawar and later transferred to a hospital in Birmingham, England, where she recovered from her injuries. After her recovery, Malala continued her activism and, together with her father, established the Malala Fund to support and advocate for girls' education globally.

In 2014, at the age of 17, Malala became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in drawing global attention to the struggle for girls' education in Pakistan. She has since continued her advocacy for girls' and women's rights and education, becoming a symbol of this cause worldwide.

Malala's father encouraged her to pursue politics

Malala Yousafzai was born in 1997 in Mingora, in the Swat district of Pakistan. Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, was a teacher and ran a girls' school in their village. He was also an outspoken social activist and educational activist, challenging societal norms in the Pashtun community by supporting and actively encouraging his daughter's education and advocacy work.

Malala was educated mostly by her father, a poet, school owner, and educational activist himself, running a chain of private schools. Ziauddin Yousafzai encouraged his daughter to pursue politics instead of her initial dream of becoming a doctor. He referred to his daughter as something "entirely special", allowing her to stay up late at night to talk about politics after her brothers had been sent to bed.

Inspired by her father's thoughts and humanitarian work, as well as twice-elected, assassinated Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Yousafzai started speaking about education rights as early as September 2008, when her father first took her to Peshawar to speak at the local press club. Her father stood by her side when she gave her first speech, asking, "How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?"

In 2009, Yousafzai began as a trainee and then became a peer educator in the Institute for War and Peace Reporting's Open Minds Pakistan youth programme, which worked in the region's schools to help students engage in constructive discussions on social issues through journalism, public debate, and dialogue. That same year, she also wrote a blog under the pseudonym "Gul Makai" for the BBC, detailing her life during the Taliban's occupation of Swat.

In 2011, Yousafzai received Pakistan's first National Youth Peace Prize, and in 2012, she attended the International Marxist Tendency National Marxist Summer School. By 2012, she was planning to organise the Malala Education Foundation, which would help poor girls go to school.

In 2013, after recovering from the assassination attempt by the Taliban, Yousafzai co-founded the Malala Fund, a non-profit organisation dedicated to giving every girl access to free, safe, quality education. She also co-authored her memoir, "I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban", and continued to pursue her dream of ensuring that all girls receive an education.

Malala's BBC blog exposed life under Taliban rule

Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani female education activist, first came to public attention in 2009 when she wrote a blog for the BBC about life under the Taliban. Her blogs described life under Taliban rule from her hometown of Mingora in the northwest region of Pakistan, which she affectionately calls "My Swat".

In her blog, Malala detailed the abuses inflicted by the Taliban, including their prohibition of female education. She wrote about her fear of being killed by the Taliban and the imminent closure of her school. She also expressed her sadness at seeing her school uniform, school bag, and geometry box, knowing that she may not be able to return to school. Malala's father, an outspoken education activist himself, supported her activism and encouraged her to write the blog. He believed that not speaking out against the Taliban would be a greater risk than speaking out.

Malala's blog provided a rare glimpse into life under Taliban rule and helped to raise awareness about the struggles faced by girls seeking an education in Pakistan. Her bravery and independence were heralded by many, and she became a symbol of resistance to the Taliban. Malala's experiences also influenced her future aspirations, as she planned to form her own political party focused on promoting education.

In 2012, Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman for her activism. She survived the attack and became a global voice for education rights, ultimately receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

Malala was shot by a Taliban gunman on a school bus

Malala Yousafzai was born in Mingora, Pakistan, on July 12, 1997. Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, was a teacher and ran a girls' school in their village. He was determined to give his daughter every opportunity a boy would have. Malala loved school, but everything changed when the Taliban took control of their town in Swat Valley. The extremists banned many things, such as owning a television and playing music, and enforced harsh punishments for those who defied their orders. They also banned girls from going to school.

In January 2008, when Malala was just 11 years old, she said goodbye to her classmates, not knowing if she would ever see them again. Despite the risks, she spoke out publicly on behalf of girls and their right to learn, which made her a target. On October 9, 2012, while on her way home from school, a masked Taliban gunman boarded her school bus and asked, "Who is Malala?" He then shot her on the left side of her head.

Malala was airlifted to a military hospital in Peshawar and later transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England, for surgery. She woke up 10 days later with no memory of the incident and remained in the hospital for three months. She made a remarkable recovery and, on July 12, 2013, her 16th birthday, she addressed a specially convened youth assembly at the UN headquarters in New York. Her speech was broadcast around the world, and she continues to be an advocate for girls' education.

Malala's story is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of standing up for what is right, even in the face of extreme adversity. Her courage and determination have inspired people worldwide and brought attention to the issue of girls' education. Despite the dangers she faced, Malala remained dedicated to her cause and has become a symbol of hope and courage for millions of people.

Malala survived and continued her activism from England

Malala Yousafzai survived a gunshot wound to the head by a Taliban gunman in 2012, when she was just 15 years old. She woke up 10 days later in a hospital in Birmingham, England, and soon decided to continue her fight for girls' education.

In 2013, Malala and her father Ziauddin Yousafzai co-founded the Malala Fund, a non-profit organisation dedicated to giving every girl an opportunity to achieve a future she chooses. That same year, she published her autobiography, "I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban". She also gave a speech at the United Nations on her 16th birthday, addressing an audience of 500 young education advocates from around the world.

In 2014, Malala was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the youngest-ever Nobel laureate. She shared the prize with Kailash Satyarthi, a children's rights activist from India. Malala continued her education in England, graduating from the University of Oxford in 2020. She has used her enhanced public profile to bring attention to human rights issues worldwide, including opening a girls' school in Lebanon for refugees from the Syrian Civil War in 2015.

Malala has continued to be a prominent activist for girls' rights and against extremism. She has spoken at the United Nations, Harvard University, and the Oxford Union, and has met with world leaders such as Barack Obama and the Queen of England. She has also continued to write and publish books, including "We Are Displaced: True Stories of Refugee Lives" in 2019.

Frequently asked questions