Courtesy: Malala.org
I’m talking about the girl who is advocating for youth all over the world. The human rights leader who has become a global symbol for peaceful protest. The one leading the forefront for girls’ education. I am talking about Malala Yousafzai.
From the age of 11, Malala has been an advocate for girls’ education, particularly in her home country of Pakistan. In October of 2012, a Taliban gunman shot Malala three times on her way home from school. Beating all odds, Malala survived, and since then she has become an international symbol for human rights, hope, education, and girls. She has taken an inspiring journey from her home in northern Pakistan to New York to give speeches in front of the Unites Nations, and to Norway to accept the Peace Prize as the youngest recipient of all time.
Courtesy: Malala.org
It could be said that Malala has already risen to the ranks of her predecessors, such as Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. Malala is one of us. And she is an inspiration to us all. We should remember that we are extremely fortunate to be able to attend college. No matter where we come from, we are here. We are becoming educated. And although we have to survive long lectures, all-nighters, and seemingly never ending exams, we are here and we are opening our intellectual avenues, providing ourselves with greater employment opportunities and increasing our level of personal freedom. Many of us might take for granted the opportunities that we have. But, we should be proud of those high school degrees, as the average girls’ enrollment rate in secondary school in the poorest countries is only 25.9 percent. I know I, like many of you, am tired of hearing the same spiel from my family and teachers about the value of the education that I am receiving here in college. But when I look at Malala’s history and I take into account the cold, hard facts about the gender inequalities that exist all over the world—even here in the United States—I find myself driven to continue learning and expanding my intellect.
Courtesy: Malala.org
Malala has taught us the importance of education. So for one, we can appreciate that we are here in college, we’ve graduated high school, and we finished middle school. (Less than twenty percent of girls in developing countries complete 8th grade.) We did this despite all the hardships that we faced. What’s next? You can raise your voice! This is the beginning of something. Malala is just helping us realize the potential that we, every girl in the world, all have. “One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world,” as Malala says. So stand #withMalala and join the movement by taking it to social media and by signing the anthem. Visit Malala.org. Become an advocate yourself for safe and free secondary education for every girl in the world. And don’t forget to watch the advanced screening of Malala’s new documentary, “He Named Me Malala” at the Askew Student Life Cinema on Monday, October 3rd at 8 p.m.!