Malala was thrust into the global spotlight nearly a decade ago because of her unstoppable and courageous dedication to getting an education.
Undeterred by the threat of speaking out publicly against the Taliban, Malala blogged for the BBC, featured in a short documentary about her fight for girls’ education in her community and even won Pakistan’s National Youth Peace Prize.
But in 2012, she was shot by the Taliban for standing up for what she believed in. Amazingly, this didn’t stop Malala from her fight.
Since then, Malala has gone on to start her own foundation, win a Nobel Peace Prize, author two books, start a secondary school for Syrian refugee girls, star in a full-length documentary, attend Oxford University and become an internationally recognised advocate for girls’ rights around the world.
Her impressive list of achievements and can-do attitude have us convinced that if we’re going to follow anyone’s advice, it should be Malala’s!
Here are 5 indispensable pieces of advice that we’re taking note of:
1. “It’s not one person’s job to do this. I can’t send all girls to school, it would be nearly impossible…what is in my potential, I will do that. Everyone has to play a role in this… It’s a responsibility we all should realize we can participate in.”
2. “If one man can destroy everything why can’t one girl change it?”
3. “Sometimes my mother says, ‘Don’t shake hands with men. Look down, look down, don’t look at men — it’s a shame.’ And I say, ‘IF a man can look at me, why can’t I look at them?’”
4. “If we want to achieve our goal, then let us empower ourselves with the weapon of knowledge, and let us shield ourselves with unity and togetherness.”
5. “I think everyone makes a mistake at least once in their life. The important thing is what you learn from it.”
