Malala Yousafzai

Headshot of Malala Yousafzai (http://live.worldbank.org)

As Maya Angelou once said, "I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people." Malala Yousafzai exemplifies heroic traits through her actions towards making the world a better place for everyone. "Malala Yousafzai was born on July 12, 1997, in Mingora, Pakistan. As a child, she became an advocate for girls' education, which resulted in the Taliban issuing a death threat against her. On October 9, 2012, a gunman shot Malala when she was traveling home from school. She survived, and has continued to speak out on the importance of education" (Kallen 10). Due to her efforts in support of educational rights for young women and girls, Yousafzai became an internationally known symbol of the struggle for women's and children's rights ("Malala Yousafzai." Newsmakers). Despite the obstacles she was faced with, Yousafzai continued towards her fight for girls' education and women's rights. Through her willingness to sacrifice her life for others, determination to fight for girls' education and women's rights, and courage to stand up for what's right even in the face of danger, Malala Yousafzai exemplifies heroic traits and serves as an inspiration for future generations.

Malala Yousafzai at the hospital after being shot (http://www.malala-yousafzai.com)

Yousafzai's concern for the needs and wishes of others before her own makes her selfless. Because of her selflessness, Yousafzai is a hero: "A hero may be defined as someone who voluntarily leaves a point of safety and risks death to save others. By that definition Malala Yousafzai is undoubtedly a hero" (Kallen 6). Yousafzai puts others' lives before her own, showing her selflessness. Even with the chance of death, she endangered her life for what she believes in and doesn't stop at anything to fight for the rights of women throughout the world. Because of her willingness to risk her life for the benefit of others, she deserves to be recognized as a hero. After facing a life-threatening experience, Yousafzai continued defying the Taliban: "She is a teenage Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban on her way home from school in retaliation for her speaking out for the right of girls to be educated. She fully recovered from her injuries and continues to fight for girls' education and women's rights" ( "I Am Malala: Plot Summary."). Despite the consequences she was faced with, she continued to put her life on the line for what she believes in. Even after experiencing a near-death experience, she continues to do what's right. Yousafzai exemplifies heroic traits through her willingness to sacrifice her life for the benefit of others.

Yousafzai's willpower to fight for education and commitment towards what she believes in makes her determined. Even with the death threats coming her way from the Taliban, Yousafzai remained driven to fight for what she believes in: "Yousafzai's father, who operated the school that his daughter attended, received death threats from the Taliban, and the family temporarily lived in a refugee camp. Despite these dangers, Yousafzai remained committed to spreading her message to anyone who would listen" ("Malala Yousafzai." Newsmakers). Yousafzai was committed towards her education.  Because she was determined to have an education, the dangers targeted towards her family and herself couldn't stop her from pursuing an education. Even after the ban from the Taliban, Yousafzai continued to rebel against them in hopes of spreading her message: "However, neither Yousafzai nor her father would give in to the Taliban. Her father continued to keep a girls' school open even after the ban, and Malala Yousafzai began to blog for BBC Urdu under the name Gul Makai, addressing her fears and frustrations" ("Malala Yousafzai." Contemporary). Yousafzai was determined to achieve an education. She continued to pursue her dreams of an education even through the struggle caused by the Taliban. Understanding the importance of spreading her story to others around the world, Yousafzai endangered her life to blog about her struggles under the Taliban rule to obtain an education. As she feared for her life, she remained determined to spread her message. Despite the dangers of pursuing an education, Yousafzai continued to fight for an education even under difficult circumstances and didn't give up making her a hero.

Quote From Malala Yousafzai (http://www.womensmeetingplace.com)

Yousafzai's ability to stand strong in the face of danger makes her courageous. Her courageous mentality is shown through her ability to stay strong under the Taliban rule: "The Taliban is particularly harsh in its treatment of girls and women. The group bans all female education, and those who violate the decree face flogging, torture, and execution" (Kallen 6). Yousafzai didn't allow the Taliban's violent punishments to stop her attempts to fight for the rights of women throughout the world. Even with the grave consequences, she didn't allow fear to stop her from doing what she believes in. The Taliban made it challenging for Yousafzai to achieve an education, but she didn't allow that to get in her way: "The Taliban had issued an edict barring the education of girls, and as a result fearful families kept many girls home. Those, including Yousafzai, who did brave the ban did so with trepidation" ("Malala Yousafzai." Newsmakers). Under the fearful control of the Taliban, Malala Yousafzai continued to pursue an education. Her courage to go against the ban makes Yousafzai a hero. Her bravery to rebel against the Taliban to do what's right displays Yousafzai's courage. She risked her life to fight for her basic human rights. With threats on her life coming her way, Yousafzai didn't let fear control her: "And like countless others throughout history, Malala was brutally attacked after calling for basic human rights for all. Even so, she joins millions of others around the world who also reject calls for violence and revenge" (Kallen 64). Even though she was brutally attacked, she continued to fight for her rights. Time and time again, Yousafzai had to put her life on the line for her cause. After each act of violence, she didn't give up and stood up for her beliefs. Because of her courageous attitude that ensured that she never gave up even in the face of danger and violence, she is considered a hero. Despite the harsh treatment under the Taliban rule, Yousafzai stood strong against the difficulties she was faced with making her a hero.

Before being shot, she visited a school in Karachi (http://abcnews.go.com)

Malala Yousafzai's ability to jeopardize her life for the benefit of others, determination to pursue an education under rough circumstances, and bravery to stand up for what she believes in makes her an inspiration. Through her actions and words, Yousafzai inspires people everywhere by risking her life for others, staying committed towards her dreams under difficult circumstances, and not allowing fear to control her. "Malala's situation might seem unique, but as she always reminds her audiences, she represents every girl who was ever denied education, justice, or freedom of expression" (Kallen 64). Malala Yousafzai inspires women throughout the world to fight for what they believe in, no matter the consequences. She represents every girl who has faced injustice and inspires those who have been denied their basic human rights to fight for what they deserve and believe in. "In congratulating Yousafzai, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said: 'She is (the) pride of Pakistan, she has made her countrymen proud. Her achievement is unparalleled and unequaled. Girls and boys of the world should take lead from her struggle and commitment'" (Kettler). Yousafzai is a role model for people all around the world. She advocates the importance of an education and equality. Yousafzai's struggle and commitment provides an inspiration towards people and teaches people to pursue their rights. She helps people aspire and live up to the eternal values of love, joy, peace, kindness, and goodness. Yousafzai is an inspiration for me because of the courage shown by her. While Yousafzai is most known for the shooting, she was a hero even before that. She stood up for women's education at a young age showing that anyone can be a hero and that age can't stop anyone from being a hero. She serves as an inspiration for me, because she didn't let fear to stop her. She courageously put her life on the line to better the lives of people around the world. Through her intent on making this a better place for all people, Yousafzai is a true hero who will continue making the world a better place for as long as she lives.