At the start of women’s history month, SUNY Oswego was lucky enough to have Shiza Shahid visit and speak about her entrepreneurial drive and philanthropic work with Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.
Shahid is the co-founder of the Malala Fund and has been advocating for women’s rights since she was a teenager, especially in her native Pakistan even while she was attending Stanford University in California.
We were able to catch a glimpse of Shahid’s work from pictures and videos she showed us including an image of her family and a video of a young Yousafzai stating she wants to be president of Pakistan.
Quickly we could see how gracious Shahid is and how she is planning to create a positive change in the business world and give every woman the right to an education.
At 28 years old, she captivated the audience with her intelligence and poise. This was especially seen during the Q&A section of the program when people were brave enough to tell Shahid about their issues. Through her upbringing and personal experience, she gave students a sense of ease knowing that they were able to get through any struggle they’re dealing with.
One thing that Shahid has made clear during her talk is the power of education. That thirst for knowledge was what made Malala an advocate of education for women worldwide. To determine how successful a society is, see how they treat their women, Shahid said. If they give women the same rights as men, their country would be a better place to live in.
Having Shahid speak at SUNY Oswego was an honor. She is an inspirational woman who has the drive to make great change in the world. Shahid left a lasting impression on those who saw her talk and I know that people will not forget her words.
Shahid can be followed on Twitter and Instagram with the handle @Shiza