Malala Yousafzai

Everyone is familiar with the cruel forces of the Taliban, but what about the people who go against them; what happens to them? Malala Yousafzai was only eleven years old when she risked everything and began to advocate for women's education. Malala Yousafzai was born in Swat Valley, Pakistan in 1997. Ten years later, in 2007, the Taliban took over; a year later they banned girls’ right to education. Malala started blogging for the BBC, and which began her journey to success. She is a hero. Although, not all heroes wear capes. Malala is no Superman or Batman, she is better: a girl who is passionate about what she stood for, ambitious and brave. She refused to fail.

Malala Accepting The "National Youth Peace Prize".tribune.com.pk/story/309285/national-peace-prize-to-be-named-after-malala-yousafzai-gilani/.Because Malala was passionate about her beliefs, she allowed nothing to silence her voice. When the Taliban took control of Swat Valley, they banned owning a TV and did not allow playing music aloud; “anyone who disobeyed would be publicly executed” (The Malala Fund). Malala was drawn to education ever since she was a child; when the Taliban forbade girls from attending school, Malala was distraught. She wrote, “I am very proud to be a Pashtun, but sometimes I think our code of conduct has a lot to answer for, particularly where the treatment of women is concerned,” (Yousafzai 251), the Taliban stripped women of education. At eleven, she began anonymously blogging for BBC Urdu with the name “Gul Makai” (The Malala Fund). She talked about how life was under the Taliban as well as her last days being able to attend school; by publishing her beliefs, her voice was heard. The Taliban was forced outside Swat Valley in 2011, and Malala was able to return to school. She won the “National Youth Peace Prize” for her passion of educational rights. Just because she was allowed to return to school, she knew girls other places were not and she continued her campaign in Asia. The 21st century needs a hero who is passionate about their beliefs and will not give up. Malala was only eleven when she began to take a stand and advocate her rights. At age fourteen, she was gifted an award for expressing herself; this was nowhere near the end of her journey. She bravely continued.

Malala stood up to the Taliban with every word she wrote. Because of this, the Taliban targeted her for “promoting secular education (BBC News). In 2012, a masked gunman stopped her school bus and asked for Malala by name. She bravely revealed herself and the gunman shot her in the head, neck and shoulders, as well as injuring two of her friends. Malala was flown to the United Kingdom for immediate treatment; she barely survived. When Malala recovered, she did not stop her campaign. This inspired to her to go bigger and take her campaign global. A hero is not someone who gives up when times get hard. A hero is someone who is brave, as Malala is, who dared to succeedingly defy the Taliban.

"I Am Malala"Malala YousafzaiMalala Yousafzai worked to succeed; she was ambitious. Being a girl in the 21st century is not easy, especially under the Taliban. The expectations of women and young girls is to stay quiet and do as they are told. Malala was not going to be silenced. She broke the social normalities and influenced other women and girls around the world. In her book she wrote, “If one man can destroy everything, why can't one girl change it?” (Yousafzai 142). She created the “Malala Fund”, the objective is to give all girls an equal chance to education. The United Nations created “Malala Day” to shine light on the world’s most vulnerable girls. The ambition Malala had, created a global hero from what was once an anonymous blogger.

Malala Yousafzai is a hero in the 21st century because she is passionate about equal educational rights, she is brave; she took a bullet for her beliefs, and she is ambitious. The journey to success is a long one, but it was worth it. She wrote, “When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful,” (Yousafzai 178) and her voice was not left unspoken. Malala is a hero who is not afraid to speak for herself.

Works Cited:

Fund, The Malala. Malala's Story | Malala Fund, www.malala.org/malalas-story.

Lamb, Malala Yousafzai Christina. “I Am Malala.” Oprah.com, www.oprah.com/book/award-winning-books-i-am-malala?editors_pick_id=54870.

“National Peace Prize Named after Malala Yousafzai.” The Express Tribune, 9 Oct. 2012, tribune.com.pk/story/309285/national-peace-prize-to-be-named-after-malala-yousafzai-gilani/.

“Profile Malala Yousafzai.” BBC News, BBC, 17 Aug. 2017, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-23241937. 

Yousafzai, Malala, and Patricia McCormick. I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood up for Education and  Changed the World. Thorndike Press, 2017.