The United Nations declared July 12th as World’s Malala day to honor Malala Yousafzai a Pakistani activist who became an international symbol of the fight for girls’ education.
This day is used as an opportunity to appeal to world leaders to ensure compulsory and free education for every child.
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist for female education. She began advocating for women’s education in 2008. Aware of the fact that the Taliban, for decades, has been against women’s education, Yousafzai continued with her social work and this advocacy.
She even highlighted how life was under the Taliban. She soon caught the attention of media across the globe and gave a number of interviews with newspapers and television channels.
On 9th October 2012, when she was 15 years, Malala was attacked by a Taliban gunman who shot her in the head and neck, and luckily she survived.
On 12 July 2013, the 16-year-old Pakistani activist delivered an incredible speech at the headquarters of the United Nations. She focused on the need for worldwide access to women’s education and appealed the world leaders to bring changes to their policies. This led to the declaration of July 12 which is her birthday World Malala Day.
In 2014, at the age of 17, she won the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate becoming the world’s youngest person to win the prize.
BONUS FACT: In 2015, an asteroid was named in her honor.
BY JOY WAMBUI