WASHINGTON -I think Malala is an average girl,” said Ziauddin Yousafzai, father of the 16-year-old girl who grabbed the world’s attention and moved the hearts of millions after being shot in the head by the Taliban. ‘But there’s something extraordinary about her.’
Since the assassination attempt on a school bus in Pakistan in 2012, Malala Yousafzai has continued to speak out as a fierce and articulate advocate for women’s education, rights and social justice. It has certainly been a busy year for the Pakistani teenage activist.
Here are a few of the many ways that she rocked 2013
1. She took the UN by storm on her 16th birthday
“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,” Malala said in a speech at her 16th birthday, now dubbed Malala Day.
2. She was nominated for a
Nobel Peace Prize
Favored to become the youngest-ever Nobel Peace laureate, Malala proved that age is just a number when she was nominated for her work as a figurehead and activist for a girl’s right to education.
3. She released her charming memoir, “I am Malala”
Written from Malala’s point of view and co-written with British journalist Christina Lamb, I Am Malala is a brutally honest tale of Malala’s life before and after the attack in Pakistan when a gunman boarded her school bus and asked, “Who is Malala?” before shooting her in the head and neck.
4. She launched her nonprofit organisation
Working to “help girls go to school and raise their voices for the right to education,” Malala launched her own nonprofit, The Malala Fund to empower women and combat the obstacles that stand between girls and education including culture, poverty, and violence. So far, the nonprofit has helped send 40 girls to school in Pakistan.
5. She left Jon Stewart speechless
Appearing on The Daily Show in October, ahead of the announcement for the 2013 recipient for the Nobel Peace Prize, her remarkable answer to one of Stewart’s hardest questions left him speechless. When asked how she reacted upon learning that the Taliban wanted her dead, she answered, “I started thinking about that, and I used to think that the Taliban would come and he would just kill me. But then I said, ‘If he comes, what would you do Malala?’ then I would reply to myself, ‘Malala, just take a shoe and hit him.’
6. She emphasised on
importance of education
About 57 million children, mostly girls, still go without an education across the globe. But rather than remain a bystander to the education crisis, Malala has continued to speak about the importance of every person’s basic right to education from her anonymous blog on BBC Urdu on the situation in Swat Valley, to her advocacy work for worldwide education.
7. She was awarded UN
Human Rights Prize
Malala was awarded the 2013 UN Human Rights Prize which is awarded every five years and has previously been bestowed on icons like Nelson Mandela and former US President Jimmy Carter.
8. And the Sakharov Prize
for Freedom of Thought
“By awarding the Sakharov Prize to Malala Yousafzai, the European Parliament acknowledges the incredible strength of this young woman. Malala’s example reminds us of our duty and responsibility to the right to education for children. This is the best investment for the future.”
9. She’s inspired a curriculum
The George Washington University announced that faculty is developing curriculum tools to accompany, I Am Malala, and will focus on the importance of women’s empowerment, women’s rights issues, and encourage advocacy.
10. She confronted Obama about drone strikes
When meeting with President Obama and the first family in a private Oval Office audience, Malala, undaunted by the occasion, challenged President Obama over drone strike casualties in Pakistan
11. Her story pushed policymakers on child education
Malala’s been outspoken about the importance of education. In one interview, Malala said, “I don’t mind if I have to sit on the floor at school. All I want is education. And I’m afraid of no one.”
12. She’s going to keep
inspiring us
Malala’s remarkable drive and passion in the 2013 have given us hope that through education, dialogue and peaceful conflict resolution, we can change the world no matter how old we are or where we come from. There’s no doubt that she’s going to do even more amazing things this year.–PolicyMic