Malal The Story Of Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai stood up to the Taliban and has faced adversity like no other. Yet, as a young Pakistani girl, she still found the strength and drive to move forward and better the world. She went to the United Nations (UN) after being shot due to her campaign for girls’ rights to education and said “Let us pick up our books and our pens. They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world” because she knew that unless someone spoke, no one would hear her story; the story of hundreds and thousands of girls worldwide (Yousafzai & Lamb, 2013, p. 310). Malala is from the Swat Valley of Pakistan, where she grew up and found her passion for education with the help of her father and the inequality
she saw across the nation (p. 56). She was brave in the face of death, and she is courageous in the continuing of her efforts. The gravity of a girl—a citizen of a country that oppresses women and allows for violence—is paramount in the movement to give all girls’ the right to a quality education because it gives the movement a face; in an international community that finds it easier with each day to silence the voice of the oppressed, Malala Yousafzai creates a platform that allows for the silenced to be heard with a microphone and calls global citizens to action. The UN stated education as a basic human right in 1948 when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created (United Nations [UN] 2016b). Due to the widespread disparity in education across all UN nations, the organization created the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the 90s and were to be enacted in 2000 and achieved by 2015 (UN 2016c). The United Nations (2016c) made one of those major goals universal primary education. Since this plan was not outright effective, the UN chartered the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are similar goals, meant to be achieved by 2030 (UN 2016a). While an increasing amount of organizations and institutions recognize the lack of education rights given to girls, many governments, like Pakistan, do not see education for all as a priority within their budgets or values. The story of Malala is one of resilience; without the support and love from her family, the likelihood of her having never received an education or stopping her education early would have skyrocketed (p.
216). Her story calls for accountability from the governments standing idly by as millions of girls’ human rights are violated. These blatant crimes can no longer be ignored in the international community when entire nations and global stability are at stake. Malala created hope and change with the sharing of her experiences; her presence in today’s atmosphere has created discussion. While seemingly not much, all treaties and constitutions started with a few people discussing an idea. The idea Malala has spread is this: if a nation is to not only survive but thrive, then all people need to be educated (p. 309). Education leads to lower birth rates, fewer child brides, higher literacy rates, a more skillful job force, a stronger economy, and overall better quality of life (Right to Education Project, 2013; Malala Fund 2016). Essentially, educational equality would lead to all SDGs being achieved and eventually surpassed (UN
2016a). Furthermore, Malala’s campaign, as one can tell from her quote, is one of peace and nonviolent solutions.
This is a resounding position and one that is imperative to listen to when she has seen firsthand what war and hate can do to a country and its people. In her book, I Am Malala, Malala (2013) explains the beginnings of her life and how it all led to her becoming an advocate and leader in the movement (p. 27-39). Malala (2013) goes on to talk about the violence she sees early on in her life from corrupt government officials and how her fellow countrymen would vote for stronger administrators if they had received a stronger education and could really understand what was occurring behind closed doors (p. 115; 149-151). Pakistan, just as other nations dealing with similar crises, succumbed to a power vacuum that allowed a terrorist regime, in this case, the Taliban, to take over (p.
111-122). The recognition of a state’s flaws is the first step in fixing them and eventually repairing the damages and legacy they left behind. In an international community where transparency does not always play the major role it should, what Malala pleads for throughout her book is monumental. She knows that without the people of Pakistan standing up against terror, the country cannot recover (p.124-125). The significance of her saying books and pens are the most powerful weapons is quite clear: when education is not sought after or fought for, the plight of ignorance will take men and create a clear path for demagogues and violent rule to control government leaders. She quotes her father saying “We people of Swat were first seduced by the Taliban, then killed by them and now blamed for them. Seduced, killed and blamed,” which is the case and point for her argument that had the people of Swat and Pakistan as a whole been better educated, the violent conflicts and flocking toward the Taliban might never have happened (p. 192). Her story takes the time to highlight that this is not just Swat’s issues or Pakistan’s issues—it is the entire world’s issue that must be solved in order for a better society and global community. Malala said “Education is neither Eastern nor Western, it is human,” which leads to the bigger complexity at hand; the West and the East are not meant to be at war with each other (p.162). Ban-Ki Moon, Secretary General of the UN stated in his message for International Women’s Day:
Countries with more gender equality have better economic growth. Companies with more women leaders perform better. Peace agreements that include women are more durable. Parliaments with more women enact more legislation on key social issues such as health, education, anti-discrimination and child support. The evidence is clear: equality for women means progress for all (UN, 2014). He added further proof that Malala and the 130 million other girls that were and are denied access to education contribute to a society that does not prosper when it could be thriving (Malala Fund, 2016). This human rights violation is not a matter of taking sides, but rather a clear and present danger to the ever-growing international community, and Malala’s story and efforts are the game-changer that could result in real solutions. While 2030 may seem far away, the deadline for the SDGs is coming closer with each passing day that more children go without an education (UN, 2016a). Malala Yousafzai, her campaign, and many other organizations are on their way to change that, and because of their endeavors, this issue is more integrated into every-day discussions than ever before. Malala is proof alone that one person can truly change the world. That is the significance of her quote in current events. She brings hope and she calls all people to action; because of Malala and her story, governments, institutions, as well as their leaders, can no longer put education on the backburner. Malala demonstrates that education is the nonviolent and peaceful solution to the problems the global community faces today.