Top 3 ways Malala has changed the world
It's Malala's birthday and she's one of the world’s most influential young people.
She may be under 20, but her story so far is nothing short of remarkable. When the Taliban gained control of her home in the Swat Valley in Pakistan and girls’ were forced to stop going to school, Malala refused to be defied. In 2012, Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman on her way home from school, for drawing attention to her plight and the plight of other girls to get an education.
The shooting left Malala in a critical condition but the bullet did not stop her from speaking up for girls’ right to education, and at the age of just 17 she became the youngest person to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.
#ThanksToMalala so much has been achieved for girls and young people around the world. Help us celebrate her 18th birthday by sharing her three greatest achievements.
1. #ThanksToMalala: Children will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.
The Malala petition, launched by Gordon Brown and the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, called on the UN to recommit to the Millennium Development Goal 2.
The petition received more than 3 million signatures and led to the UN recommitting to the target of children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling by 2015.
2. #ThanksToMalala: Children in Pakistan have the right to access free education.
The Malala petition also led to the success of Pakistan passing the Right to Education Bill 2012, guaranteeing that all children, aged between five and 16, have access to free education. Parents who refuse to send their children to school and employers who hire school-aged children can be imprisoned under the new law.
3. #ThanksToMalala: Young people have voice among world education leaders.
On Malala’s 16th birthday, she staged the first-ever UN youth takeover. The takeover brought together more than 600 young leaders from around the world in support of universal education for all children.
An inspiration
We simply can’t talk about Malala’s top achievements without mentioning her speech to the UN in 2013. It gave us goose bumps and took the world by a storm.
Watch One Girl Among Many, with young girls from around the world using the words from Malala’s powerful speech to campaign for girls’ rights.
Say thanks
Wish Malala a happy birthday by sharing her greatest achievement
