Every year on July 12th, the world celebrates Malala Day in honour of Nobel Peace Prize recipient Malala Yousafzai. It also falls on her birthday, which seems a fitting tribute to an extraordinary girl who has dedicated her life fighting for the rights of children and women.
Malala Yousafzai has become a 21st century icon. She is a representation of bravery, tenacity, and support for women’s rights and education. However, not all details of the remarkable young activist’s life are widely known. She has a private Instagram account, for starters, and her feed primarily features pictures of the sky.
An Autobiography That Became An International Bestseller
Malala Yousafzai was born in Mingora, Pakistan, on July 12, 1997. In her autobiography, ‘I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and Was Shot,’ she describes her unique experiences as a young woman who advocates for human rights and education. The book provides insights into the difficulties encountered by the citizens of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other Islamic nations, where dangerous conditions are brought on by active terrorist organisations and dishonest political figures.
The author comes across as a vibrant, active, individual who, with her father’s help, is able to overcome the social, political, and cultural norms of her surroundings. Malala had an exciting childhood and learnt foreign languages despite religious persecution and corruption. She wished for all girls to have access to top-notch education and aspire to dream big. If Benazir Bhutto could become prime minister, why couldn’t any one of them?
Malala’s life changed after she was shot by a Taliban sniper. She moved to England with her family, and her influence soon increased as a symbol of resistance to terrorism, which she feels should be combated by education rather than weapons.
Youngest Recipient Of The Nobel Peace Prize
Malala’s list of accolades and awards is ever growing. She currently possesses over 50. The list is remarkably varied and includes the National Youth Peace Prize (2011) (now known as the National Malala Peace Prize), the International Children’s Peace Prize (2013), the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought (2013), the 2015 Grammy For Best Children’s Album, and numerous other honours. The National Constitution Centre presented the activist with the Liberty Medal and the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
Malala is the youngest recipient of the UN Messenger of Peace title, and an asteroid has been named in her honour. The campaigner was also named to British TIME’s ‘Most Influential People list,’ received an honorary Canadian citizenship, and was recognised with the ‘2013 Pride of Britain’ award.
Malala was awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for her work against child abuse, which she shared with Indian campaigner Kailash Satyarthi. She was only 17 years old at the time, and is the Prize’s youngest recipient. Her autobiography recounts this moment of discovery - an instructor approached her in chemistry class with the information! Malala was stunned by the news, but she decided to finish her school day instead of returning home to celebrate. Her efforts ‘against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education’ earned her the medal. Recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize are given a medal, a diploma, and a financial prize.
Donated Nobel Peace Prize Proceeds To Charity
Malala donated all of the proceeds from the award to the Malala Fund in order to help girls receive quality education everywhere and anywhere in the world, and to raise their voices. It supports funding for educational programmes that teach English and digital tech skills to refugee girls.
Malala Day
Less than a year after the shooting, on July 12, 2013, Malala gave her first prominent public speech at the UN headquarters in New York. ‘United Nations Malala Day’ was observed on this day, with the aim to motivate and bring together young leaders globally to strive towards the objective of ‘engaging all children, particularly girls, in education.’ Malala emphasised that ‘it is not her day,’ but rather ‘the day of every woman, boy, and girl who have raised their voice for their rights.’
Image source: Forum comm, World time, Current affairs, Fast company