When asked to write this article, I couldn’t think of anyone more inspirational than this courageous Pakistani girl. She’s known for her activism for rights to education and for women in the Swat Valley where the Taliban had banned girls from attending school. In 2009, at age 11, she wrote under a pseudonym for BBC detailing her life under the Taliban regime, their attempts to take control of the valley, and her views on promoting education for girls. In the following summer The New York Times filmed her life which helped her rise in prominence as she began to give interviews. She was even nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize.
In 2012, a masked Taliban gunman singled her out on a school bus and shot her in the head and neck, injuring two other girls in the process. Malala survived and the assassination attempt sparked an international campaign of support. United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown launched a UN petition in Yousafzai’s name, using the slogan “I am Malala” and demanding that all children worldwide be in school by the end of 2015 – a petition which helped lead to the ratification of Pakistan’s first Right to Education Bill. In the April 2013 issue of Time magazine, Yousafzai was featured on the magazine’s front cover and as one of “The 100 Most Influential People in the World”. She was the winner of Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize and was nominated for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.
After following her story in the news over the years, I developed such a respect for this young girl. I can only hope to someday create half of the impact that Malala has. Her strength and courage are unparalleled which is why she’s my woman crush every Wednesday.