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 “The Brave Librarians of Timbuktu” and ask students to discuss the dangerous effects of extreme religious views. How was education threatened both in Yousafzai’s Pakistan and Haidara’s Timbuktu by groups with extreme views? Why do you think both Yousafzai and Haidara chose to stand up to protect education, even though it was dangerous?
