Why Do We Celebrate July 12 as International Malala Day?

The United Nations declared July 12^th as “Malala Day” after 2013 when on the same day she touched millions of hearts by delivering a speech at the headquarters of the United Nations.

Who is Malala Yousafzai?

The youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17 (2014), Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist for female education who was shot along with her friend by a Taliban gunman in order to silence her voice in October 2012. Since then, she has been giving interviews in print and on television, was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize, and gained nationwide attention for her blogs & thoughts which the terrorists couldn’t bear with.

It was this incident that brought her in front of the world as a strong young woman who is fearless, in an interview after the attack on her 16^th birthday.  She said, “The terrorist thought they would change our aims and stop our ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died; strength, power and courage were born”.

Malala is an international symbol of the fight for girls’ education because of her constant and tremendous efforts in this direction. Inspired by her humanitarian father, Ziauddin Yousafzai she has always been an empathetic person and worked for women and human rights since a very young age.

She believes that “Education is neither western nor eastern. Education is education and it’s the right of every human being”. Her fresh and compassionate thoughts make her one of the most influential people around the globe.

Apart from this she also raises Malala Funds which is working for a world where every girl can learn and lead.

Apart from Malala Day, 12^th July 2022 will also mark as Malala Yousafzai’s 25^th Birthday, and what better way to wish her than to celebrate the International Malala Day in honour of women advocating for female education and rights!