Malala Biography
Born on July 12, Malala Yousafzai is the oldest daughter of Tor Pekai Yousafzai and Ziauddin. She was born in Mingora, one of the most densely populated cities in the Swat Valley, also known as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.
When Malala was ten years old, in 2007, the situation in the Swat Valley drastically altered for her family and the community she lived in. The Taliban gained control of the Swat Valley and swiftly established itself as the preeminent sociopolitical force in most of northern Pakistan. It was forbidden for girls to go to school, and other forms of cultural expression, including dancing and viewing television, were outlawed. The group’s hostility to providing females with an appropriate education was a central tenet of its terror campaign, and there was a high incidence of suicide attacks. By 2008, the Taliban had burned down around 400 educational institutions.
By the time Malala Yousafzai was 11 years old, she had begun campaigning for the rights of girls and women in her community. Yousafzai was often put in jeopardy due to the fact that she was an outspoken advocate for the right of girls to go to school and have a better future. Despite this, she maintained her work and, together with her father, established the Malala Fund. The Taliban shot her, but this did not stop her. Yousafzai became the youngest person in history to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts when she was just seventeen years old.
When Malala penned the entry for the first time in her BBC journal, she was 11 years old. She detailed in her blog post, titled “I am terrified,” her worry of a full-scale war breaking out in her lovely Swat Valley, as well as her dreams of being afraid to attend school due to the Taliban.
She was forced to leave her home and seek safety hundreds of kilometers away on May 5, 2009, as Pakistan’s conflict with the Taliban was rapidly approaching. As a result, Malala became an internally displaced person (IDP), which stands for “internally displaced person.”
Malala began her public campaign for the right to attend school upon her return to Swat after being absent from the region for a number of weeks. She made use of the media once again and continued her fight in front of an audience. Her voice got stronger, and in less than three years, both she and her father became well-known across Pakistan for their unwavering commitment to providing Pakistani girls with the opportunity to get a high-quality free education.
Following the 2009 assassination of her father, Malala Yousafzai was inspired to become more politically active.
To further her interest in promoting education for girls and women, Malala Yousafzai traveled to New York City in 2010 with a group of other female leaders from around the world. The World Summit of Nobel Laureates was held at Columbia University and was attended by an impressive array of speakers and attendees, including former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton. Malala lobbied very hard in support of a “global commitment to educating all girls,” which became geared toward funding programs that would help provide modern education to girls worldwide through the Girl Up initiative.
Malala Yousafzai, who was just 15 years old at the time, was shot by the Taliban on the morning of October 9, 2012. As a result of her advocacy, she was considered for the International Children’s Peace Prize in 2011. She was honored with Pakistan’s National Youth Peace Prize during the same calendar year. However, her attempt to bring about change in Swat did not get the support and approval of everyone.
Malala was chatting with her pals about homework while riding the bus home from school that evening. Two Taliban men halted the bus. In the middle of the street, a young bearded Talib approached Malala and fired at her three times. One of the bullets pierced her skull, escaped, and then got stuck in her shoulder. Malala was gravely injured. She was rushed to an E.R. at a Pakistani military hospital. Four days later, she was transferred to a critical care center in Birmingham, England.
Malala was brought back from a medically induced coma after arriving in the United Kingdom. She had suffered no severe brain damage, even though she would need many operations, including restoring a facial nerve to heal the paralyzed left side of her face. Malala was allowed to start school in Birmingham in March 2013, following weeks of treatment and counseling.
Her quick recovery from the attack, including her going back to school, attracted more support for her globally. On her 16th birthday, she visited the United Nations in New York. She also published her first book titled ” I AM MALALA: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.” The European Parliament awarded her the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought that same year.
She later visited Syrian refugees through her Malala Fund organization, which she established with her father. She then visited Kenya, where she had interactions with young female students. She decided to end that year in Northern Nigeria as she turned 17. During her visit to the West African country, she spoke out against Boko Haram, who had taken hostage school-going girls. She spoke out against the terrorist-funded group, whose plan was similar to that of the Taliban; to keep girls out of school.
In October 2014, Malala was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize at 17 years old, making her the youngest person to receive the award. In her acceptance speech, Malala said, “This honor is not simply for me; it is for those neglected kids who seek an education.” It’s for those fearful kids who crave tranquility. It is intended for the helpless children who desire change. “
The Malala Fund has evolved into a group that gives girls the tools they need to succeed in life and take on leadership roles in their nations through education. The Malala Fund supports educational initiatives in six nations while collaborating with world leaders. It also joins forces with local partners to invest in creating local solutions and promotes high-quality secondary education for all girls internationally.
Malala, now a Birmingham resident, is a vocal advocate for education as a basic social and economic right. Through the Malala Fund and her own words, Malala Yousafzai continues to support the value of education and for girls to take on leadership roles in their communities.
