A Champion of Girls’ Education

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani education activist who fights for the right of every girl to receive an education. She was born on 12 July 1997 in Mingora, in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. From a young age, she believed that every child, especially every girl, should have the opportunity to go to school.

When the Taliban tried to stop girls from attending school in her region, Malala bravely spoke out against their actions. In 2012, when she was just 15 years old, she was shot by a Taliban gunman because of her advocacy for girls’ education. Fortunately, she survived and continued her work with even greater determination.

In 2013, Malala co-founded the Malala Fund with her father to help girls access quality education. On 12 July 2013, she delivered a powerful speech at the United Nations, calling for education for every child