Malala Yousafzai (born 1997) is a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Malala is from the Swat Valley in northwest Pakistan, where the local Taliban has banned girls from attending school. Malala, whose family ran a chain of local schools, publicly stood against the Taliban's actions and launched an international movement, surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban on October 9th, 2012. The article discusses this incredible young woman and her continuing advocation for universal women's education.
Pair “Malala Yousafzai: A Normal Yet Powerful Girl” with “Marley Dias: The 13-Year-Old Author Who Made a Difference” and ask students to discuss how both young girls created important change. How do the movements that Malala Yousafzai and Marley Dias lead compare? Ask students to discuss how both texts encourage young people to engage in social activism.
