Women in the spotlight: Malala Yousafzai (optional, but inspirational)

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MALALA YOUSAFZAI

Messenger of Peace

(1997 - )

"I tell my story, not because it's unique, but because it is not." -Malala Yousafzai

You may be familiar with this young woman's photo (there is a billboard of her in Indy, see photo below) and maybe even familiar with her story. It deserves to be told every chance possible because she is an incredible, brave human that continues to inspire me and many others around the globe.

-Malala was ten years old and living in a part of Pakistan that was controlled by the Taliban. Girls were banned from attending school but Malala was determined to get the education she deserved and bravely stood up to the Taliban. She went on Pakistani TV and vocalized her outrage against the Taliban¹.

-Between 2008 and 2011, Malala blogged about her experiences and the fear she felt when she did go to school because the Taliban had destroyed 400 schools in the matter of a year. Her voice grew louder and louder through the variety of media outlets she turned to. Her fierce activism led to the Pakistan's National Youth Peace Prize, but it also led to her near fatal gunshot wound¹.

-On October 9, 2012, Malala was shot in the head by the Taliban, she was 15 years old at the time. She was riding on the bus with her friends when two men boarded the bus and asked for her by name. I cannot imagine the fear she was experiencing as they fired three shots at her. She was airlifted to England to receive intensive care and therapy. After weeks in the acute care setting, she started attending school in the UK¹.

-Her story was told around the world. In 2013, she visited NYC to speak at the the United Nations. Later that year, she published her autobiography and The European Parliament awarded her the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought¹.

-She continues to travel to world and fight for the rights of girls. She co-founded the Malala Fund with her father to bring awareness to the social and economic impact of girls' education^1,2. This organization believes that when women are properly and equally educated, economic growth thrives and workplaces are healthier. You can read more about this fearless father-daughter duo here: https://malala.org/ Links to an external site.

-In 2014 Malala was the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and when accepting the award she said¹

"This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change."

Malala Yousafzai may not directly contribute to changes in the gender wage gap, but she is certainly breaking down barriers in the gender education gap. I wanted to include her in this workshop because she is such an inspiration for girls & women across the world. We may not be able to fully appreciate what a lot of these young women go through, but her activism can teach us about the importance of fighting for yourself and what you believe in. When we negotiate and fight for an equitable salary, we do it not just for ourselves, but for women around the world.

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