Malala Yousafzai, the young human rights defender

Malala Yousafzai received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 when she was 17 years old. She is the youngest person in history to win this award. This young activist and defender of civil rights stands out for her committed 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 by profession, decided to give her daughter the same educational opportunities that any male child in Pakistan received. For this, he enrolled her in school, making visible their right to education. It was precisely he who encouraged Malala to move towards political activism, since the young woman initially wanted to dedicate herself to medicine.

How Malala started fighting for human rights

In 2007, the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley and prohibited girls from continuing their education. It is at that moment that Malala, under the pseudonym Gul Makai, begins to write a blog for the BBC about her life under the rule of this regime. In this virtual space she denounced the discrimination that girls and women suffered at the hands of this violent group.

The atrocities to which the civilian population continues to be subjected are multiple and demonstrate the total disregard for human life. A large number of children, young people and the elderly have been attacked, massacred or murdered, although 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 or freedoms. For me it was unacceptable; and That situation was what motivated me to raise my voice.. No girl could go to school. I wanted to be a doctor, earn my own money and make my own decisions. I remember that day I got up and started crying,” Malala said 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 to her house on the school bus when two Taliban got on and, calling her name, shot her with a rifle, hitting her in the skull and neck. The spokesman for the terrorist group, upon being informed that she had not died, stated that they would try to kill her again and claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.

Malala She was threatened with death by terrorists for denouncing on her blog the atrocities being committed in her region, the Swat Valley in northern Pakistan. Above all, she spoke of the pain caused by the prohibition of female education 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 was lodged in her neck, near her spinal cord. She was subsequently transferred to the United Kingdom, where she underwent multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation.

What happened after the accident

Demonstrations of support for the young woman began to take place all over the world and immediately aroused international condemnation from most of the political leaders.

Malala was discharged after having a hearing device implanted in her left ear and a titanium plate in her skull. After that, and to the astonishment of the entire world, she returned to fight for human rights.

His activism and his fighting spirit continued their path unstoppably, Malala thus becomes a heroine and spokesperson for girls who fight for the right to education..

“We are all Malala”, worldwide recognition

Malala is a unique young woman, a woman with a wisdom rare in young women her age, sensitive and focused. In her life, has experienced the worst and the best that human beings have to offer.

The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize has received worldwide love and support by politicians, human rights activists and citizens in general. For this reason, she has been worthy of several recognitions in different countries.

This amazing young woman is an inspiration for all those who want to fight for a more just world. The voice of women like Malala is the hope to silence the guns and promote sustainable changes in the world.

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