Malala Yousafzai, The Young Human Rights Defender

Malala Yousafzai received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 when she was just 17 years old. He is the youngest person in history to receive this award. This young civil rights activist and advocate stands out for her commitment and her fight for the right to education for girls around the world.

Malala was born in Mingora, Pakistan, in 1997, and is the eldest of three siblings. Her father, a teacher, decided to give his daughter the same educational opportunities as any male child in Pakistan.

To do this, he enrolled her in high school, making her right to education visible. It was precisely he who encouraged Malala and entered the world of political activism, since the young woman initially wanted to dedicate herself to medicine.

How Malala started to fight for human rights

In 2007, the Taliban had taken control of the Swat Valley and banned the girls from continuing their education. It was at this point that Malala, under the pseudonym Gul Makai, began writing a blog for the BBC about her life under the regime’s control. 

In this virtual space, she denounced the discrimination suffered by girls and women under the hands of this violent group that was in power.

The atrocities to which the civilian population continues to be subjected are numerous, and demonstrate a total disregard for human life. Large numbers of children, young people and the elderly have been attacked, massacred or murdered, even though Afghan women continue to be the main victims of this type of injustice based on violence, degradation and inequality.

“They began to spread the message that women did not have the same rights and freedoms. For me it was unacceptable, and this situation was the reason I raised my voice. No girl could go to school. I wanted to be a doctor, earn my first money and make my own decisions. I remember that day I got up and started to cry” , said Malala in an interview on the subject.

Malala Yousafzai, human rights defender

On October 9, 2012, Malala was the victim of an attack in Mingora, Pakistan. She was returning home on the school bus when the Taliban came up and called her name. They fired with a rifle, hitting his skull and neck. The spokesman for the terrorist group, upon being informed that the girl had not died, said they would try to kill her again and claimed the attack in a statement.

Malala was threatened with death by the terrorists for denouncing on her blog the atrocities being committed in the region, the Swat Valley in northern Pakistan. She spoke mainly of the pain that the ban on female education caused her, and the destruction of most schools.

After surviving the attack, the young woman was admitted to a hospital near the capital, Islamabad. There they removed the bullet that had lodged in the neck, near the spinal cord. She was later taken to the UK, where she underwent several surgeries and months of rehabilitation.

what happened after the incident

Demonstrations supporting the young woman began to appear around the world, which immediately aroused international condemnation of the act by political leaders.

Malala was discharged after implanting a hearing device in her left ear and a titanium plate in her skull. After that, and facing a surprised world, she went back to fighting for human rights.

Her activism and her fighting spirit continued to exist with all her strength, transforming Malala into a hero and spokesperson for the girls who struggled to have their right to education assured and guaranteed. 

“We are all Malala”, worldwide recognition

Malala is a unique young woman, a woman with an unusual wisdom for girls of her age, sensitive and focused. In her life, she has already experienced the worst and best that human beings can offer.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner has received worldwide affection and support from politicians, human rights activists and citizens alike. She has received great recognition in several different countries.

This incredible young woman is an inspiration for all those who want to fight for a fairer world. The voice of women like Malala is the hope to silence the guns and bring about sustainable change in the world.