12/07/2023
On July 12 each year, the world commemorates Malala Day to honor the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai, who is an advocate for girls’ education and women’s rights.
Every year on July 12th, the world celebrates the birthday of Malala Yousafzai. At age 17, Malala was the youngest recipient ever of the Nobel Peace Prize. The day also honours the rights of children and women.
Malala was born in Mingora, Pakistan, on July 12th, 1997. Her father was an educator, and as a result, she developed a thirst for knowledge. In 2007 the Taliban took over the city in which she lived and banned girls from attending school. As young as she was, Malala demonstrated fierce bravery by standing up to the Taliban. In 2009, Malala started a blog and wrote about life under Taliban rule. She also wrote about her desire to go to school. For three years, she and her father advocated for the right for girls to attend school.
On the morning of October 9th, 2012, gunmen from the Taliban shot Malala Yousafzai in the head. She was just 15 years old at the time. After four days in a military hospital, doctors transferred her to an ICU in Birmingham, England. Multiple surgeries and weeks of rehabilitative therapy later, Malala began attending school in Birmingham.
On her 16th birthday, the young lady travelled to New York and spoke at the United Nations. In 2013, TIME Magazine declared Malala one of the world’s most influential people. A year later, Malala was named a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Along with this prestigious honour, Malala has received the United Nations Human Rights Prize and The Liberty Medal. In May 2020, Malala graduated from Oxford University with a philosophy, politics and economics degree. She continues to fight for women’s empowerment and education.
