Malala Yousafzai (born July 12, 1997) is a Pakistani education activist and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate. She was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman on October 9, 2012, at age 15, for her advocacy of girls' education in the Swat Valley of Pakistan. She survived, moved to the United Kingdom, and continued her activism. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 at age 17. She graduated from the University of Oxford in 2020 and founded the Malala Fund, which advocates for girls' education worldwide.

What Happened to Malala?

On October 9, 2012, a Taliban gunman boarded Malala's school bus in Mingora, Pakistan, and asked which girl was Malala. He shot her in the left side of her head. The bullet traveled along her skull and lodged in her shoulder. She was airlifted to a military hospital in Peshawar, then to Birmingham, England, for specialized treatment. She underwent multiple surgeries including cranioplasty and cochlear implant. She made a full recovery and resumed her education and activism within months.

Why Was Malala Targeted?

The Taliban targeted Malala because of her public advocacy for girls' education. Beginning at age 11, she wrote a blog for the BBC Urdu service under the pseudonym Gul Makai, documenting life under Taliban rule in the Swat Valley, where the Taliban had banned girls from attending school. She also appeared on Pakistani television. The Taliban considered her advocacy a direct challenge to their authority and ideology.

What Is the Malala Fund?

The Malala Fund, co-founded by Malala and her father Ziauddin Yousafzai, is a nonprofit organization that advocates for girls' education globally. It invests in local education leaders and organizations in countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, India, Brazil, Ethiopia, Turkey, and Lebanon. The Fund has invested over 100 million dollars and focuses on ensuring 12 years of free, quality education for every girl.

What Awards Has Malala Received?

Malala has received numerous awards including: the Nobel Peace Prize (2014, shared with Kailash Satyarthi — she was the youngest laureate at 17), Pakistan's National Youth Peace Prize (2011), the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought (2013), and honorary Canadian citizenship (2017). She was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2013 and 2015.

Can You Talk to Malala?

Malala Yousafzai is available as an AI companion on HoloDream. She believes education is a right, not a privilege. She paid for that belief with a bullet.