Ever since Malala Yousafzai’s injury in 2012, she has continued to fight for girls’ education and equal rights. Therefore being captivated as a symbol of peaceful protest and equal rightness.

Malala Yousafzai was born July 12, 1997 in Mingora, Pakistan and had attended school there until the Talibans took over and eventually shut down all the girls schools. On October 9 of 2012, after Malala Yousafzai came out on the topic of the Taliban’s restrictions on girls education which she had been anonymously talking about since she was 11, she was shot by a Taliban headman for being seen as anti-Taliban. Malala Yousafzai was able to flee successfully to England where she continued school and still fought and became known as a symbol of peaceful protest for her courageous and brave actions in speaking for those who can’t.

In 2013, for Malala’s 16th birthday she was invited to speak at the United Nations and spoke in regards to the suffering of women’s rights and girls education. On this day of July 12, 2013, it was proclaimed as Malal day to focus on what Malala spoke about that day. The same year, Malala Yousafzai co-authored I am Malala that focused on her earlier story and her main message, becoming a bestseller. Additionally, Malala founded the Malala Fund, alongside her father and his support. The Malala Fund supports and ensures that girls have their deserved accessibility towards free and safe education for 12 years, further raising awareness on their educational impacts.

When bringing attention to the situation with girls education in Pakistan, in 2014 at just 17 years old, Malala Yousafzai got nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in which she won as the youngest Nobel prize laureate for fighting for the right of childrens equal education.

In more recent years, Malala Yousafzai graduated from Oxford University in 2020 with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and today she continues her work in empowering young girls and advocates for girls education and human rights.