Malala Day

Just two months after Malala’s near-fatal shooting, a high-level advocacy event was co-organised by UNESCO and the Government of Pakistan at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, on 10 December, 2012, which is International Human Rights Day.

Entitled ‘Stand Up for Malala – Girls’ Education is a Right’, the event was held to advocate for the unequivocal right to education for every girl in the world.

On 12 July, the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York is hosting a special event called ‘Malala Day’.

“It is the auspicious day on which Malala celebrated her sixteenth birthday by addressing the UN’s highest leadership, and presenting them with a set of education demands developed by young people, for young people” – the Youth Outcomes Document.

Young leaders from around the world will stage a ‘sit-in’ at the UN, calling for members states to honour their promises and turn their rhetoric and policies on education into concrete measures.

No-one is off limits

Surgeons in Pakistan removed a bullet from Malala’s head after the shooting, and she was flown to the UK for specialist treatment.

A titanium plate and cochlear implant were fitted, and Malala was discharged from hospital in February to continue her rehabilitation.

The attack on Malala was not an isolated incident, the Taliban in Pakistan have also targeted teachers and burnt down empty schools.

10 Ways Malala changed the world

  1. She has sparked a dialogue about children’s education throughout the world

With around 57 million children who have no access to education, Malala has definitely kickstarted the conversation about human rights.

2. Three million people have signed the Malala Petition

Let this sink in, a girl of 17 years has managed to encouraged 3 million people to stand together behind children’s education.

3. Her ability to be fearless is inspiring beyond measure

When she was 11 years old, Malala wrote a diary which she discussed life under the Taliban. This diary was published by BBC Urdu under anonymous while tempting capture and facing grave consequences.

4. She has launched the Malala fund

This has been established in order to ensure that beyond the words of her speech, tangible results are reached in the fight for access to education.

5. She has taught us about forgiveness

I mean she was shot in the head, survived and still publicly said “I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there is a gun in my hand and he stands in front of me. I would not shoot him.”

6. She has shown us that there is no age limit to stand up against justice

Her 16th birthday was spent speaking at the UN about a cause she believes in. Because of her remarkable story, in February 2013 she was the youngest individual to ever be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

7. Her story has reminded children throughout the world not to take anything for granted

So many children take the simple action of going to school for granted on a daily basis. Malala’s story and her fight to attend school has reminded everyone, children and adults alike, to not take anything for granted in our lives.

8. She has challenged us all to wage a war

…against illiteracy and terrorism by “picking up our books and pens.”

9. She has demonstrated the importance of peaceful conflict resolution

Inspired by leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Malala has resorted to peaceful solutions in order to tackle the issues of girls’ education and the equality of women.

10. She has caused the UN to recommit to Millennium Development Goal 2

This goal states that “by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.” After Malala delivered her speech, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon stated that the UN is committed to providing education to all children through its Global Education First Initiative

What did Malala Yousafzai stand up for?

Malala Yousafzai was an ordinary student wanting to learn.

Her father was both a teacher and a loving parent and encouraged Malala to get an education. She lived in a society where many girl’s fathers did not share this same mindset.

Malala confronted this pressure agaisnt education not only in girls being kept home from school, but in girls given substandard education or demeaned in the classroom to discourage them from continuing to attend school. When she publicly spoke out, asking for girls to be given the same opportunity to an education, she was shot in the head by a member of the Taliban.

But this did not silence her voice or stop her desire to help girls everywhere while never being bitter or angry towards her opposition.

Now thats revolutionary.

“She fought with words when they fought with guns.
She spoke for education when they spread ignorance.
She stared death in the face and walked away.
She changed the world…”

“One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen, can change the world.”

Malala Yousafzai was born on July 12, 1997, in Mingora, Pakistan. As a child, she became an advocate for girls’ education, which resulted in the Taliban issuing a death threat against her. On October 9, 2012, a gunman shot Malala when she was traveling home from school. She survived, and has continued to speak out on the importance of education.

At the age of just 15 Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban – she survived! Now she is a famous political activist, continuing her campaign for education, equality and peace for every child, everywhere. She was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2013. In  2014,  she was nominated again and won, becoming the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Nobel peace prize