[Gio Gio]

- Her Story -
Malala: The girl who dared to question the Taliban

Malala Yousafzai is the Pakistan schoolgirl who dared to question life under Taliban rule and became a rallying figure for every girl's right to education.
The 17-year-old who was shot in the head for speaking out refused to be a victim and instead became a voice for millions of young women around the world.
Her journey began in 2009 when as a seventh grade student in the Swat District she was approached about writing an anonymous blog for the BBC expressing her views on education and life under the threat of the Taliban taking over her valley
Malala - now one of few people recognised by just her first name - did this with the blessing of her father, teacher and poet Ziauddin Yousafzai.
She chronicled events as the Taliban's military hold on the area intensified and they issued edicts banning women from going shopping and limiting their education.
On January 3 2009, Malala wrote: 'I had a terrible dream yesterday with military helicopters and the Taleban.
'I have had such dreams since the launch of the military operation in Swat. My mother made me breakfast and I went off to school. I was afraid going to school because the Taliban had issued an edict banning all girls from attending schools.
'Only 11 students attended the class out of 27.
'The number decreased because of Taliban's edict.
'My three friends have shifted to Peshawar, Lahore and Rawalpindi with their families after this edict.'
When she was revealed as the author of the blog Malala and her father began to receive death threats but by 2011 she had been awarded Pakistan's first National Youth Peace Prize.
On October 9 2012 a masked gunman boarded her school bus and Malala was hit by a single bullet which went through her head, neck and shoulder, narrowly missing her brain.
She was airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham where she received life-saving treatment.
Her attempted assassination was condemned across the globe and more than two million people signed the Right to Education petition which helped lead to the ratification of Pakistan's first right to education bill.
On July 12 last year, Malala marked her 16th birthday by delivering a landmark speech at the United Nations headquarters in New York as part of her campaign to ensure free compulsory education for every child.
'Here I stand, one girl, among many,' she told world leaders. 'I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard.
'Let us pick up our books and our pens, they are the most powerful weapons.'
The speech saw July 12 marked as Malala Day and the campaign has seen the teenager pen a memoir, I Am Malala, and she has been named by Time magazine as one of the world's 100 most influential people.
The girl named after the Pashtun heroine Malalai has also set up the Malala Fund with the aim of 'empowering girls to raise their voices, to unlock their potential, and to demand change'.
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- Her Memorable Moments -

United Nations, New York, 12 July 2013 - Education activist Malala Yousafzai marks her 16th birthday, on Friday, 12 July 2013 at the United Nations by giving her first high-level public appearance and statement on the importance of education.






Malala Yousafzai receives 2013 Sakharov Prize - Award of the 2013 Sakharov Prize to Malala Yousafzai, for her determination in fighting for the recognition of equal access to education for young girls in Pakistan and elsewhere.






Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2014 Malala Yousafzai Acceptance Speech - October 10 2014.








Malala Yousafzai is youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner

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- Her Quotes -











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- Official Twitter Page -

Malala Yousafzai @IamMalalaY

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[livstevi21]

Amazing young lady she is. Thanks for making a thread for her! A true inspiration.

[Gio Gio]

You're welcome I agree with you!
She's a great girl and she deserves the Nobel Prize.

THE QUEEN, CLEGG AND THE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER: THE WORLD REACTS TO MALALA'S WIN 'Warm congratulations to Malala Yousafzai & Kailash Satyarthi for winning the #NobelPeacePrize ' - The British Royal Family's official Twitter account (@BritishMonarchy) ‘I asked Malala why she was so passionate about going to school: “I didn't want my future to be only cooking and looking after children”’ - BBC’s Mishal Husain (@MishalHusainBBC ) 'There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. Congratulations Malala & @k_satyarthi. KA #nobelprize2014' - Kofi Annan (@kofiannan) 'Want 2 congratulate Malala on Nobel Peace Prize. Proud as Pakistani 4 her Nobel prize, esp 4 cause of Education which must b r nat priority.' - Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) 'Malala Yousafzai's life is a journey of immense grit & courage. I congratulate her on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.' - India’s prime minster Narenda Modi (@narendramodi) 'Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi are the world's greatest children's champions. They are two of my best friends and two of the greatest global campaigners' - Former PM Gordon Brown 'Fantastic news, @Malala and @kailashsatyarth rightly honoured for their inspirational work #nobelprize2014' - Former PM Tony Blair (tonyblairoffice) ‘Thoroughly deserved Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai. Excellent day for children’s rights and education’ - Deputy PM Nick Clegg (‏@nick_clegg)

THE WORLD REACTS TO MALALA'S WIN

[livstevi21]

Aww. She really does.

[Gio Gio]

I updated the main page


ETA

Today is 'The International Day of The Girl Child'

Message from Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence 11 October 2014 This year, for the third celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child, we focus on the full development of girls and the continued fight against violence to them. Teenage years are particularly delicate moments for girls, from childhood to adulthood. In too many parts of the world, this is the age when girls drop out of school, and are victims of violence -- physical or verbal, direct or insidious. In some countries, almost one in five teenage girls has been sexually abused. The practice of female genital mutilation or female circumcision remains rooted in many traditions. All of this results in trauma, leading to unwanted pregnancy and contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS, ruining lives with an impact across society. Violence against girls should be banned, especially at school, which must be a safe a place for discovery and self-development. It is intolerable that the girls are harassed, physically or psychologically. By supporting the school as a place of equality, respect and non-violence, we can transform the lives of millions of girls, and strengthen society as a whole. This is the goal of all of UNESCO’s work and an important part of our efforts to craft more sustainable societies and paths to development. Our best weapon against violence is to fight against the ignorance and prejudice on which it feeds -- through education. "My pen is my sword" is inscribed on the wall of the Ayesha Durrani School for girls in Kabul. This is also UNESCO’s message today. The more women achieve a high level of education, the less they suffer from early marriages and unwanted pregnancies. If all the girls in sub-Saharan Africa and West and South Asia had a secondary education, early marriage would fall by 64 percent and births by 59 percent. We can reduce violence through knowledge, thanks to research centre and documentation networks on gender equality, on the basis of textbooks on puberty, and through awareness-raising programmes for girls and boys. These are the objectives guiding the Global Partnership for Girls and Women’s Education as well as the programmes financed by the Malala Fund for Girls' Right to Education, launched by UNESCO. This is also the spirit of our cooperation with UN-Women, to develop global guidelines for Ministers of Education in the fight against the violation of the human rights of girls. Violence against girls and women is never acceptable, never tolerable, never pardonable. Today, I call upon all Member States, and all our partners in the private sector and civil society, to join forces with UNESCO to strengthen girls' education and to end the cycle of violence that weakens us all. Irina Bokova

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[Gio Gio]

Interviews









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Malala's Story - #WeAreSilent
Join Free The Children and The Malala Fund as we stand up for children around the world denied the right to an education. Spread the word by sharing this video and taking a stand for those without a voice with the hashtag #WeAreSilent.



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The text of Malala Yousafzai’s speech at the United Nations
12th July 2013



In the name of God, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful.
Honourable UN Secretary General Mr Ban Ki-moon,
Respected President General Assembly Vuk Jeremic
Honourable UN envoy for Global education Mr Gordon Brown,
Respected elders and my dear brothers and sisters;

Today, it is an honour for me to be speaking again after a long time. Being here with such honourable people is a great moment in my life.
I don't know where to begin my speech. I don't know what people would be expecting me to say. But first of all, thank you to God for whom we all are equal and thank you to every person who has prayed for my fast recovery and a new life. I cannot believe how much love people have shown me. I have received thousands of good wish cards and gifts from all over the world. Thank you to all of them. Thank you to the children whose innocent words encouraged me. Thank you to my elders whose prayers strengthened me.
I would like to thank my nurses, doctors and all of the staff of the hospitals in Pakistan and the UK and the UAE government who have helped me get better and recover my strength. I fully support Mr Ban Ki-moon the Secretary-General in his Global Education First Initiative and the work of the UN Special Envoy Mr Gordon Brown. And I thank them both for the leadership they continue to give. They continue to inspire all of us to action.
Dear brothers and sisters, do remember one thing. Malala day is not my day. Today is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights. There are hundreds of Human rights activists and social workers who are not only speaking for human rights, but who are struggling to achieve their goals of education, peace and equality. Thousands of people have been killed by the terrorists and millions have been injured. I am just one of them.
So here I stand... one girl among many.
I speak – not for myself, but for all girls and boys.
I raise up my voice – not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.
Those who have fought for their rights:
Their right to live in peace.
Their right to be treated with dignity.
Their right to equality of opportunity.
Their right to be educated.
Dear Friends, on the 9th of October 2012, the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead. They shot my friends too. They thought that the bullets would silence us. But they failed. And then, out of that silence came, thousands of voices. The terrorists thought that they would change our aims and stop our ambitions but nothing changed in my life except this: Weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born. I am the same Malala. My ambitions are the same. My hopes are the same. My dreams are the same.
Dear sisters and brothers, I am not against anyone. Neither am I here to speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban or any other terrorists group. I am here to speak up for the right of education of every child. I want education for the sons and the daughters of all the extremists especially the Taliban.
I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there is a gun in my hand and he stands in front of me. I would not shoot him. This is the compassion that I have learnt from Muhammad-the prophet of mercy, Jesus christ and Lord Buddha. This is the legacy of change that I have inherited from Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This is the philosophy of non-violence that I have learnt from Gandhi Jee, Bacha Khan and Mother Teresa. And this is the forgiveness that I have learnt from my mother and father. This is what my soul is telling me, be peaceful and love everyone.
Dear sisters and brothers, we realise the importance of light when we see darkness. We realise the importance of our voice when we are silenced. In the same way, when we were in Swat, the north of Pakistan, we realised the importance of pens and books when we saw the guns.
The wise saying, “The pen is mightier than sword” was true. The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women. The power of the voice of women frightens them. And that is why they killed 14 innocent medical students in the recent attack in Quetta. And that is why they killed many female teachers and polio workers in Khyber Pukhtoon Khwa and FATA. That is why they are blasting schools every day. Because they were and they are afraid of change, afraid of the equality that we will bring into our society.
I remember that there was a boy in our school who was asked by a journalist, “Why are the Taliban against education?” He answered very simply. By pointing to his book he said, “A Talib doesn't know what is written inside this book.” They think that God is a tiny, little conservative being who would send girls to the hell just because of going to school. The terrorists are misusing the name of Islam and Pashtun society for their own personal benefits. Pakistan is peace-loving democratic country. Pashtuns want education for their daughters and sons. And Islam is a religion of peace, humanity and brotherhood. Islam says that it is not only each child's right to get education, rather it is their duty and responsibility.
Honourable Secretary General, peace is necessary for education. In many parts of the world especially Pakistan and Afghanistan; terrorism, wars and conflicts stop children to go to their schools. We are really tired of these wars. Women and children are suffering in many parts of the world in many ways. In India, innocent and poor children are victims of child labour. Many schools have been destroyed in Nigeria. People in Afghanistan have been affected by the hurdles of extremism for decades. Young girls have to do domestic child labour and are forced to get married at early age. Poverty, ignorance, injustice, racism and the deprivation of basic rights are the main problems faced by both men and women.
Dear fellows, today I am focusing on women's rights and girls' education because they are suffering the most. There was a time when women social activists asked men to stand up for their rights. But, this time, we will do it by ourselves. I am not telling men to step away from speaking for women's rights rather I am focusing on women to be independent to fight for themselves.
Dear sisters and brothers, now it's time to speak up.
So today, we call upon the world leaders to change their strategic policies in favour of peace and prosperity.
We call upon the world leaders that all the peace deals must protect women and children's rights. A deal that goes against the dignity of women and their rights is unacceptable.
We call upon all governments to ensure free compulsory education for every child all over the world.
We call upon all governments to fight against terrorism and violence, to protect children from brutality and harm.
We call upon the developed nations to support the expansion of educational opportunities for girls in the developing world.
We call upon all communities to be tolerant – to reject prejudice based on cast, creed, sect, religion or gender. To ensure freedom and equality for women so that they can flourish. We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.
We call upon our sisters around the world to be brave – to embrace the strength within themselves and realise their full potential.
Dear brothers and sisters, we want schools and education for every child's bright future. We will continue our journey to our destination of peace and education for everyone. No one can stop us. We will speak for our rights and we will bring change through our voice. We must believe in the power and the strength of our words. Our words can change the world.
Because we are all together, united for the cause of education. And if we want to achieve our goal, then let us empower ourselves with the weapon of knowledge and let us shield ourselves with unity and togetherness.
Dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget that millions of people are suffering from poverty, injustice and ignorance. We must not forget that millions of children are out of schools. We must not forget that our sisters and brothers are waiting for a bright peaceful future.
So let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism and let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons.
One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world.
Education is the only solution. Education First.

[Sunrise at Midnight]

Thanks for making the thread she is an amazing young woman!

[livstevi21]

She's achieved so much already.

[Sunrise at Midnight]

She has, her story is so amazing. She will have a wonderful and bright future. I'm gald that little girls have her to look up to.

[livstevi21]

Agreed.

[Sunrise at Midnight]

Yeah, my sister was talking to my nieces yesterday about her and they were in awe of her. Malala is reaching little girls everywhere around the world!

[livstevi21]

Which is amazing.

[Sunrise at Midnight]

Totally!

[baelfire24]

So happy she is influencing little girls. She is an inspiration.

[Sunrise at Midnight]

Nobel Prize Winner Malala Remains Lightning Rod For Anger in Hometown - NBC News