Malala Yousafzai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Malala Yousafzai
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| ملاله یوسفزۍ | |
Yousafzai in December 2023, Johannesburg
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| Born | 12 July 1997 Mingora, Swat, Pakistan
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| Education | Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford (BA) |
| Occupation | Activist for female education |
| Organisation | Malala Fund |
| Spouse(s) |
Asser Malik
(m. 2021) |
| Parent(s) |
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| Honours | Nobel Peace Prize (2014) |
Malala Yousafzai (Urdu: ملالہ یوسفزئی, Pashto: ملاله یوسفزۍ, born July 12, 1997) is a brave Pakistani activist. She fights for every girl's right to go to school. In 2014, when she was just 17, Malala won the Nobel Peace Prize. This made her the youngest person ever to receive this important award. She is also the first Pashtun and the second Pakistani to win a Nobel Prize.
In her home region of Swat, a group called the Pakistani Taliban sometimes stopped girls from going to school. Malala spoke out against this. Her fight for education has now become a worldwide movement. Many people, including former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, see her as a very important person in Pakistan.
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Malala's Early Life
Malala Yousafzai was born on July 12, 1997. Her family belongs to the Yusufzai Pashtun people in Swat, Pakistan. Her parents are Ziauddin Yousafzai and Toor Pekai Yousafzai. She has two younger brothers named Khushal and Atal.
Malala learned a lot from her father, who was a poet and ran a group of private schools called Khushal Public School. He was also an activist for education. Malala was very inspired by her father's ideas and his work.
Fighting for Education
Malala started speaking up for education rights when she was just 11 years old. In September 2008, her father took her to Peshawar to speak at a local press club. She bravely asked, "How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?" Her speech was reported by newspapers and TV channels.
In early 2009, when she was 11, Malala wrote a blog for BBC Urdu. She used the secret name Gul Makai. In her blog, she shared what life was like when the Taliban controlled Swat. Her stories became well-known around the world. She was even nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize.
A Difficult Day
On October 9, 2012, something terrible happened. A Taliban gunman shot Malala while she was on a bus in Swat District. She had just finished taking an exam. A bullet hit her in the head. She was very badly hurt, but after two hospital stays, she got better.
Global Support for Malala
The attack on Malala made people all over the world show their support. In January 2013, a news group called Deutsche Welle said she might have become "the most famous teenager in the world." Soon after the attack, 50 important Muslim leaders in Pakistan spoke out against those who tried to kill her. Governments and groups that fight for human rights and women's rights also started speaking against the Pakistani Taliban.
On October 15, 2012, Gordon Brown, who used to be the British Prime Minister, visited Malala in the hospital. He started a petition in her name. This petition, called "I am Malala," had three main goals:
- We want Pakistan to make a plan for every child to get an education.
- We want all countries to stop treating girls unfairly.
- We want international groups to make sure that the 61 million children who are not in school get an education by the end of 2015.
Life in the UK
After she recovered, Malala moved to Birmingham, England. She finished her high school education at Edgbaston High School from 2013 to 2017. Then, she went to Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University. She studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) and graduated with honors in 2020.
Malala became a very important activist for the right to education. She also helped start the Malala Fund with Shiza Shahid. This is a non-profit group based in Birmingham that helps girls get an education.
Continuing Her Activism
In July 2014, Malala spoke at the Girl Summit in London. In October 2014, she gave $50,000 to the UNRWA to help rebuild schools in the Gaza Strip.
On July 12, 2013, which was her 16th birthday, Malala spoke at the United Nations. She shared her dream of making education available to everyone. The UN named this day "Malala Day." It was her first public speech since the attack. About 500 other young people who are fighting for education were there. Parts of her speech were even used in a song called "Speak Out."
On July 12, 2015, her 18th birthday, Malala opened a school for Syrian refugees. The school is in the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon, near the Syrian border. The Malala Fund paid for the school. It offers education and training to girls aged 14 to 18. Malala asked world leaders to invest in "books, not bullets."
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
On October 10, 2014, it was announced that Malala Yousafzai would share the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. She was the youngest person to win the prize, at just 17 years old. Malala shared the award with Kailash Satyarthi, an activist from India who fights for children's rights. She is the second Pakistani to win a Nobel Prize. The first was Abdus Salam, who won for Physics in 1979.
Malala's Personal Life
On November 9, 2021, Malala Yousafzai married Asser Malik in Birmingham. He is a manager with the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Inspiring Words from Malala
- "Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world."
- "There should be no discrimination against languages people speak, skin color, or religion."
- "When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful."
- "The best way to solve problems and to fight against war is through dialogue."
Interesting Facts About Malala
- She was named after a brave Afghan folk heroine called Malalai of Maiwand. Her first name Malala means "grief-stricken."
- Malala looks up to people like Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Barack Obama, and Benazir Bhutto.
- She speaks Pashto, Urdu, and English very well. She also enjoys playing cricket and tennis.
- She once wanted to be a doctor, but her father later encouraged her to become a politician.
- In 2013, she wrote a book called I Am Malala. It became a best-seller around the world.
- Malala spoke at the United Nations in July 2013. She also met Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. In September, she spoke at Harvard University, and in October, she met U.S. President Barack Obama and his family.
- In 2015, a documentary film about her, called He Named Me Malala, was nominated for an Oscar.
- Malala wrote a picture book for younger children called Malala's Magic Pencil. It was published in 2017.
- In March 2021, Apple announced that Malala would create shows for their streaming service, Apple TV+.
Awards and Honors
Malala Yousafzai has received many awards and honors from different countries and groups. Here are some of them:
- 2011: Nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize
- 2011: National Youth Peace Prize (Pakistan)
- October 2012: Sitara-e-Shujaat, Pakistan's second-highest bravery award
- December 2012: Time magazine's Person of the Year shortlist
- January 2013: Simone de Beauvoir Prize
- April 2013: One of Time's "100 Most Influential People in the World"
- September 2013: Ambassador of Conscience Award from Amnesty International
- 2013: International Children's Peace Prize
- 2013: Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought from the European Parliament
- 2014: World Children's Prize (also known as Children's Nobel Prize)
- 2014: 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, shared with Kailash Satyarthi
- 2014: Philadelphia Liberty Medal
- 2014: Honorary Canadian citizenship
- 2015: Asteroid 316201 Malala named in her honor
- 2015: The audio version of her book I Am Malala won a Grammy Award for Best Children's Album
- 2017: Youngest ever United Nations Messenger of Peace
- 2017: Received an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa
- 2022: Chosen as the World's Children's Prize Decade Child Rights Hero
Images for kids
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Yousafzai with her father (left) and Martin Schulz in Strasbourg, 2013
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From left to right: Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Ali Jinnah have influenced Yousafzai
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Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, one of Yousafzai's sources of inspiration
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International Poetry Festival 2013 in Argentina, to honour Yousafzai
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Yousafzai at Women of the World Festival, 2014
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Education campaigner Malala Yousafzai
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Malala Yousafzai meeting with the President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto
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Malala Yousafzai speaks to DFID staff to discuss the importance of girls’ education.
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Malala Yousafzai with delegates at the Supporting Syria and the Region conference
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Malala and Freida Pinto meet the Youth For Change panel.
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Prime Minister of Japan Shinzō Abe and Malala Yousafzai shaking hands
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Yousafzai as the guest of honour at the Award Ceremony of the International Children's Peace Prize 2017
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Malala Yousafzai signs Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken's guestbook before their meeting at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on December 6, 2021.
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Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken meets with Malala Yousafzai at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on December 6, 2021.
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See Also
In Spanish: Malala Yousafzai para niños
