The Swat Valley is called the “Switzerland of Pakistan” because of its snow-capped mountains and beautiful scenery. Education is another beauty of Swat. When the British left Pakistan, the first ruler of the Swat Valley in 1922, though uneducated himself, supported the building and expansion of schools. The first school was for boys and within a few years, there was a school for girls. By 1949, the grandson of the first ruler of Swat established high schools, and colleges. Ziauddin Yousafzai, an education activist, and Malala’s father founded a school where boys and girls were educated together. Thus, for Malala Yousafzai, education was the norm, but throughout most of Pakistan, males could be schooled but not females. In 2007-2009, the Taliban was fighting to capture Swat. They succeeded and wanted to enforce strict religious laws that forbade the education of girls. In the process of such enforcement, four hundred schools were destroyed.
In Swat, the pursuit of education continued for both girls and boys. A British media in 2009 approached Malala, about 13 years of age, about writing a blog about life under the Taliban. She agreed to do so under the condition of anonymity. However, her identity was revealed in a documentary and television interview. Though young, she did not see her writing as something special that she was doing; education was a critical facet of life and females had a right to do more than cook, clean, and have babies.
It was the end of the school day and the girls had boarded the school bus for home. Just outside the school grounds, the vehicle was stopped and two Taliban militants with rifles boarded with the demand, “Who is Malala?” Without thinking, the girls looked at 15-year-old Malala. The shooter pulled the trigger. A bullet went into Malala’s skull and brain cutting her facial nerve, shattering her eardrum, and breaking her jaw joints. She was taken to a nearby Pakistani military hospital where part of her skull had to be cut away because her brain was swelling. Eventually she was flown to a hospital in England for months of surgery and rehabilitation.
The assassination attempt was an unintended catalyst in making known to the world the oppression of women who do not have the opportunity to receive an education. While the attempt on her life was terrorizing, Malala never stopped her advocacy for the education of females. After her recuperation from the shooting, she became an advocate for the education of women throughout the world. In 2013, at 17, she became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and the second Pakistani to ever receive a Nobel Prize. Malala believes that education is a sign of progress.
Reflections
“Education is our basic right.” Malala
Malala Yousafzai Malik (Known by her first name, Malala), Pakistani girls rights to education activist.
Education: University of Oxford (philosophy, politics, and economics)
Award: In 2014, Malala awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; shared with Indian child activist, Karlish Satyarthi
Malala – At 17, the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
Spouse: Asser Malik (m. November 10, 2021)
On Masterclass: If you have access to Masterclass, Malala’s session on Creating Change is highly recommended.
In what area are you enthusiastic about seeing change?
- Volunteer your time and expertise in the area you believe needs change.
- Believe in the change you want to see.
- Failure is when you give up; mistakes are learning opportunities.
The sessions share a wealth of practical strategies and user-friendly steps to becoming an effective advocate for change.
Dorothy Watson Tatem, D.Min., ACC
Senior Associate
Next Step Associates, LLC
Cassandra W. Jones, Ed.D.
CEO & President
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