Taya MILLER-DEAN

Personal Development Assessment SAC 1: Positive

11J

Person: Malala Yousafzai

Age: 26 years old
Partner: Asser Malik (m. 2021)

Background Information:
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani female education activist and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the age of 17. She
is the world's youngest Nobel Prize laureate, the second Pakistani, and the first Pashtun to receive a Nobel Prize.
Malala Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight for the right of every child to receive an education.
She was born in the Swat Valley in Pakistan. When the Islamic Taliban movement took control of the valley in 2008,
girls’ schools were burned down. Malala kept a diary of the events, which was published in 2009 by BBC Urdu. In her
diary, she spoke out against the Taliban’s terrorist regime. An American documentary film made Malala internationally
famous.
At eleven years old, Yousafzai decided to stand up to the Taliban. Yousafzai started by blogging anonymously for the
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in early 2009. She used the penname, “Gul Makai,” and spoke about her life
under Taliban rule and how much she wanted to attend school.
It was not long before the Taliban threatened her life. In 2012, Malala was shot in the head on a school bus by a
Taliban gunman. She survived but had to flee to England and live in exile there because a fatwa was issued against
her.
In 2013, TIME magazine named Malala one of “The 100 Most Influential People in the World.” On her 16th birthday,
she spoke in the United Nations. In her speech, Malala called for the equal right to education for girls all over the
world and became a symbol of this cause.
“I tell my story not because it is unique, but because it is the story of many girls.” – Malala Yousafzai

What is Malala famous for?

Malala Yousafzai became an international symbol of the fight for girls' education after she was shot in 2012 for
opposing Taliban restrictions on female education in her home country of Pakistan.
Malala completed her secondary school education at Edgbaston High School, Birmingham in England from 2013 to
2017. From there she won a place at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, and undertook three years of study for a Bachelor of
Arts degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), graduating in 2020.

What did Malala do to change the world?

Malala spoke up for the rights of education for young girls that were banned due to conflict with the Taliban in her
country. However, most people probably are not aware of the progress she and the Malala Foundation have made
globally to ensure young kids can attend school.

What are Malala’s beliefs/values?

Religion – Religion is a strong belief of Malala as she is a firm follower of the faith of Islam. However, whilst Malala
is a devout Muslim, she often clashes with the teachings of the Taliban who are a violent and powerful group of
Muslim extremists in her home country. This is because, the Taliban take the words of the Qur’an out of context and
believe women should not have access to an education(among other things).
This clearly did not sit right with Malala, as education is one of her main values.
And it was Malala’s clashes with the Taliban’s beliefs that lead her to get shot on the way home from school
Human Rights - Malala’s values in human rights come hand in hand with her religious faith in Islam. This is because
Muslims believe human rights help to create a more equal society. So, as you can imagine, when Malala saw the
injustice in her country enforced by the Taliban, she had to do something. This is because Malala believes education is
a human right and that girls have as much right to learn to read and write as boys do.
Girls’ Education - Malala has a strong belief in girls’ education because she understands how it can change the lives
of girls and women and give them the tools to become empowered and independent.
In an op-ed from the Guardian in 2014, Malala wrote… “Education is the best weapon we have to fight poverty,
ignorance and terrorism.”

Positive Qualities
1. Demonstrate confidence and leadership

 Through Malala's actions of activism, she shows heroic traits such as confidence, braveness, and
determination when she fought for her educational rights as a woman, in a country where men see women just
as prostitutes. Malala stood up for herself and other women to get a quality education. The Taliban disliked
when people; mostly women were disobedient towards them. She has shown leadership through her work
when she has engaged in her community both in Swat Valley and on a global scale to fight for girls' education.
She continues to fight every single day.

2. Don’t be afraid to be unique

 I believe one way in which she is unique is, she has spoken up to make changes in her country where most
women struggle to take a risk to speak up. The reason why women don’t have any rights in their country is
because the country is being controlled by Islamic terrorists. One way they controlled all the women was by
burning down all their schools, because they had all the power to rule over them which led to creating fear.
She has had to fight for her own survival and cultural beliefs because she was a target for speaking for
advocating for girl's education and women’s rights.

3. Communicate and interact with everyone.

 How Malala has communicated for fighting for change was by organising and creating educational
campaigns, and holding protests and rallies which gained the attention of journalists from all over the world. A
way on how she interacted with people around the world was in early 2009 blogging anonymously for the
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). She had and American documentary made on her, which made her
internationally famous which also helped her interact with others around the world.

4. Show respect and concern for others.

 How Malala shows concern for others is by fighting for women’s rights. She is concerned for girl's education
and wants to make sure that they have the same rights and values as compared to everyone else. She wasn’t
just fighting for rights in her own country, but… “Malala called for the equal right to education for girls all
over the world and became a symbol of this cause.” Another way how Malala has shown concern for others is,
she has her own foundation, … “the Malala Foundation have made globally to ensure young kids can attend
 school.” How Malala shows respect to her faith is by being a devoted Muslim and her values in human rights,
which come in hand to hand with her religious faith in Islam beliefs.

5. Have humility and willingness to admit mistakes.

I believe this question is not applicable to the person Malala Yousafzai.

 She refuses to admit to mistakes because she advocates for girls' and women’s rights to have an education.

6. Be knowledgeable and well-rounded

 How Malala is knowledgeable is from her own experience of the Taliban, was her keeping diary entries of
what her life was like living amongst the Taliban. Schools were being burnt down therefore, she and other
girls did not receive the necessary education. She has had first-hand knowledge of how the Taliban treated
anyone who spoke up when she was shot in the head by an assassin. The way how she became knowledgeable
was by completing her secondary school education in England. She then went on to study a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE), at Oxford University, graduating in 2020. How she
became well-rounded was, she was awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17, for her fight for the
right of every child to receive an education. She is the world's youngest Nobel Prize laureate, the second
Pakistani, and the first Pashtun to receive a Nobel Prize.

7. Do good things outside the job.

 In 2013, Malala and her father co-founded the Malala Fund to bring awareness to the social and economic
impact of girls' education and to empower girls to demand change. In December 2014, she became the
youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Secretary-General António Guterres designated Malala as a United
Nations Messenger of Peace in 2017 to help raise awareness of the importance of girl’s education.
Personal Statement
Write your own personal statement on how this person has been a positive influence on you.

 How has Malala Yousafzai had a positive influence on me? By the way, she has shown immense courage in
her beliefs/values. How she is one of the top 10 activists in the world, for speaking up for what she believes
in. Which has shown me how important, public speaking is and advocating for other's rights. These changes
can make the world a better place, and how much of an impact and Differences can have in the worldwide
community. The fact that her being shot in the head, has now made her become deaf in one ear and partially
paralysed on half of her face, which hasn’t held her back. How her disabilities haven’t gotten in the way or
impacted her fight for advocating for others to have an education. This is something I strongly believe in
because I have my own neurological disabilities, and I’m someone who fights for change and rights,
diversity, and disability inclusion. This is one of the reasons why I would like to become and be considered as
one of the 2024 College Captains at HCSC.
Bibliography:
https://malala.org/malalas-story
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Malala-Yousafzai