International Malala Day 2023: Who Is Malala Yousafzai? Where Is She Celebrating Her 26th Birthday?

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Every year on 12 July, United Nations recognize International Malala Day to honour Malala Yousafzai for her bravery and activism.

A Nobel laureate and a Pakistani activist, Malala became an international symbol of the fight for girls' education after she was shot in 2012 for opposing Taliban restrictions.

International Malala Day 2023: Who Is Malala Yousafzai? Early Life, Education, Awards And Recognition

Malala was born to Ziauddin and Tor Pekai Yousafzai on 12 July 1997 in Mingora, the largest city in the Swat Valley, now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. Her father, who was always an advocate for education himself, ran a learning institution in the city and therefore, the school has been a significant part of Malala's family. She has two younger brothers as well.

In 2007, When Malala was 10, the situation in Swat Valley changed for the worse when the Taliban took control and it affected her family and the community living there. Due to this, girls were banned from attending schools, taking part in cultural activities like dancing and even watching television was prohibited.

What Does Malala Fight For?
During their terror campaign, about 400 schools were destroyed by the end of 2008, and suicide attacks became the new normal. She believed the right to education was for everyone and therefore, she stood up against the Taliban and was determined to go to school. On Pakistani television said once, 'How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?'

Two years later, in 2009, 11-year-old Malala anonymously started to blog under the name 'Gul Makai' on the Urdu language site of the Briitsh Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). She wrote about the daily struggles of her life, her desire to go to school, being forced to stay at home under the Taliban rule in Swat Valley and repeatedly questioned the motives of this terror group. Her first blog was titled 'I am afraid' which captured the horror of a full-blown war in Swat Valley and the nightmares of being afraid to go to school.

While Pakistan's war with the Taliban was approaching fast, on 5 May 2009, Malala became an internally displaced person (IDP) and she was forced to leave her home and seek refuge hundreds of miles away. A few weeks later, on her return, Malala took the help of the media and continued her public campaign for her right to go to school.

Over a span of 3 years, Malala and her father became the flagbearer of free quality education for Pakistani girls. This fearless activism resulted in a nomination for the International Children's Peace Prize in 2011. She was also awarded Pakistan's National Youth Peace Prize. However, not everyone supported this move or welcomed her campaign that was about to bring change to Swat.

At What Age Malala Was Shot?
On the morning of 9 October 2012, 15-year-old Malala was shot by the Taliban while she was sitting in a bus heading home from school, and talking with her friends about schoolwork. The bus was stopped by two members of the Taliban, and one of the young bearded Talib asked for Malala by her name and fired three shots at her.

One of the bullets entered and exited her head and lodged in her shoulder. Malala was seriously injured and was airlifted to a Pakistani Military hospital in Peshawar. Then she was shifted to an intensive care unit in Birmingham, England.

What Year Did Malala Wake Up From Coma?
Even though Malala was taken out of a medically induced coma, she required multiple surgeries to fix the left side of her face which was paralyzed. She woke up from a coma on 16 October 2012 and after months of treatment and therapies, in March 2013, she was able to attend school in Birmingham.

Her miraculous recovery and return to school drew a lot of attention across the globe and there was a global outpouring of support for her.

What was Malala awarded For? List Of Awards And Achievements
On 12 July 2013, which marked her 16 birthday, Malala spoke at the United Nations in New York and that same year she published her first book, an autobiography 'I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.'

On 10 October 2013, in acknowledgement of her work, the European Parliament awarded Malala the prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

With the help of the Malala Fund, the organization she co-founded with her father, in 2014, Malala travelled to Jordan to meet Syrian refugees, to Kenya to meet young female students, and to northern Nigeria for her 17 birthday.

In October 2014, at the age of 17, Malala won Nobel Peace Prize. She became the youngest person to receive this prestigious award. According to the reports, while accepting the award, Malala reaffirmed that 'This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want an education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change.'

Where Is Malala Celebrating Her 26th Birthday?
Known for her bravery, commitment and resilience, Malala took to Twitter and express her disbelief at the incredible journey. While she prepares to celebrate her 26th birthday, she reminiscences about her past visits to numerous countries, and refugee camps and expressed her eagerness to celebrate this occasion with her 'sisters' this year irrespective of the challenges posed by the pandemic.

On Twitter, Malala wrote, 'It's hard to believe tomorrow is my 26th birthday - ten years since I spoke at the United Nations. 16-year-old Malala had no idea what would happen next, the amazing people she would meet, the places she would go. She was just determined to continue her fight for girls' education.
Since that day, I made a commitment to spend my birthday with girls, a tradition that has brought me to Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil and Ethiopia, and to refugee camps in Lebanon, Rwanda and Iraq. And while the pandemic put a brief pause on travel, I am thrilled to celebrate again in person with my sisters this year. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate this anniversary and I hope you follow along to see where I land.'

Talking about the present day, the Malala Fund empowers girls through education and helps them to achieve their potential and helps them to become confident and strong leaders in their own nations.

Currently, this organisation is funding education projects in six countries and working with international leaders, and local partners to invest in groundbreaking, innovative solutions so that there is quality secondary education for all girls across the world.

Malala currently resides in Birmingham and is married to Asser Malik, a sports enthusiast and top PCB official.