MALALA

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“Who is Malala”, were the words Malala Yousafzai heard seconds before a masked gunman shot her in the left side of her head. However, Malala is so much more than the “young Pakistani girl who was shot.” Her story began on July 12, 1997 when she was born into a Pakistani household as a female. In some Pakistani households, when a girl is born, it is considered a “dishonor,” and families can go as far as to kill their baby girls. In 1998, just 1 year after Malala was born, there was a record of 391 baby girls who were killed because of their gender. However, Malala's father had much more progressive thinking which she credits her own views to, as he believed that she should get every opportunity, if not more, than a boy. Her father ran a girls school in her village, which Malala attended.

That all changed in 2008, when the extremist group, Taliban, took control of her village. Their views include excluding women from public office, judiciary, and even schools. Malala was forced to leave school, with no hope of ever returning. Yet, nothing could kill her passion to learn. Using the education that she got, Malala gave speeches to other young girls in Pakistan, claiming that “ever since the Taliban captured power over 15 months ago, conditions for women are getting worse and years of change are being erased in front of the world's eyes”, trying to convince women to step up and make a change. This made her a target, and at just 15, she was shot in the head. Yet, she refused to let this silence her. In 2013, Malal addressed the UN, stating her goal to make education available to every child.

Personally, the biggest thing I take away from Malala’s story is her perseverance. No matter how many times she was pushed down, even close to death, she fought back for what she believed in so that she could help so many other children. In Malala's words, “I tell my story not because it is unique, but because it is the story of many girls…” Fight for what you believe in, and help to make your life, but also the lives of thousands of others, just a bit better.