Malala Yousafzai

It is said that even a butterfly flapping its wings can cause a hurricane on the other side of the world. Although the butterfly effect is of the slightest chances, it conveys the sensitive dependence of a major outcome on minor conditions. Along the lines of this effect, Malala Yousafzai said in a speech at Harvard University: “When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful” (“Malala Yousafzai Speaks at Harvard”). Just like the wings of a butterfly, Malala says that one voice can change the world. She urges everyone to speak out amongst the silence by emphasizing its efficacy in improving society. Her journey to do all of this started on July 12, 1997, in Mingora, Pakistan, when she was born into a “land where rifles are fired in celebration of a son, while daughters are hidden away behind a curtain, their role in life simply to prepare food and give birth to children” (Yousafzai, 13). As a young child, she and her family have been through tough times until her dad opened a school. In this school, Malala earned many awards and campaigned for peace in the valley and for the right for girls to go to school. As she saw her hometown change from a tourist spot to a scene of extreme violence, she further firmed her stand on education for girls. Then, in spite of all the threats and injustices she faces, Malala Yousafzai strives towards her belief that education is important. Her courage to speak out against injustices and her global advocacy motivates us to become heroes ourselves.

Logo of Malala Fundhttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Malala_Fund_Logo.svgMalala Yousafzai’s efforts to empower girls who miss out on secondary education motivates others to become heroes themselves. In 2013, she started the Malala Fund, which is an organization that works to ensure that all girls receive 12 years of free, safe, quality education in countries such as Pakistan, Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Brazil. In her interview with the UN in 2017, she says, “The Malala Fund started the Gulmakai Network, and the goal of this mission is to empower local leaders and some local activists.” Local leaders and activists refer to common citizens that believe in her cause and are willing to take part in it. Through funding normal people and helping them create change, Malala breaks the common misconception that only the rich and powerful can create change; everyone could. This causes the readers to think that they can also help society change for the better and be heroic too. Furthermore, in her Nobel Prize speech, Malala says “I am Malala. But I am also Shazia. I am Kainat. I am Kainat Soomro. I am Mezon” (“Malala Yousafzai Nobel Peace Prize Speech”). She uplifts girls who did not succumb to violence and discrimination from different countries, such as Nigeria and Syria. By saying “I am,” she conveys that she is not unique and that other girls also deserve attention for their heroism. After this, she broadens her audience’s attention globally by uplifting the 66 million girls across the world who are deprived of education. Sixty-six million being a big number lowers the perceived difficulty of becoming a hero. Audiences are led to think that they can also be a hero if all those girls could be one too (“Malala Yousafzai Fast Facts”). By uplifting these girls, she encourages everyone to do acts that will change society for the better.

Malala Yousafzai at a interviewhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Malala_Yousafzai.jpgMalala Yousafzai’s courage to defy sexism and terrorism under the Taliban motivates others to be heroic and speak out against injustice. Her first act of resistance is revealed to the world when she says, “How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?” in her first speech at age 11 to a press club in Pakistan. By saying that the Taliban is taking away a basic right, she emphasizes how malicious the Taliban are. By expressing her desire to go to school, she speaks out against sexism, the banning of girls’ education, and terrorism, including the Taliban bombing hundreds of schools. Second, defying the Taliban in her hometown is even more courageous because it is where the oppression is taking place. Malala presenting her speech at the very site of terrorism reflects that one can be courageous at such a young age, and therefore inspires others to do so too. Also, her being defined as inferior for her being both a girl and a child by society, and still managing to speak out against injustice creates a feeling of elevation or awe. The awe that we feel inspires us to do heroic acts similar to those of Malala Yousafzai. For these three reasons, Malala resisting these injustices moves us to perform heroic acts similar to hers. Additionally, when she was eleven, she blogged to the BBC about the violent acts the Taliban was doing and was shot for doing so (“Malala Yousafzai Fast Facts”). Even though she knew that blogging would jeopardize her, she did not hesitate. BBC stands for British Broadcasting Corporation. The fact that she is writing for the British is even more significant because she is alerting the world about the terrorism that is happening in her hometown, Pakistan. As a result, the member of the Taliban attempted to assassinate her on the way home from school. This shooting spread her name around the world. These courageous acts against unrighteousness influence us to speak out too. After Malala’s heroic acts became globally known, she began to strive to help others like her.

Overall, Malala Yousafzai speaks out for the education of girls and children from a young age and funnels efforts to help achieve this goal. The society feels a sense of elevation from the courageous and persistent acts of Malala Yousafzai because she was defined as inferior for her being both a girl and a child by society, and yet she manages to speak out against injustice and reach out to the victims of these injustices. Although it may not be directly speaking up, I can perform other acts of kindness like donating a small amount to an organization or picking up trash in a park. I can also speak out to injustices in my surroundings like standing up for a kid being bullied. One never knows that just like the wings of a butterfly, that one bill they donated, that single trash they picked up, or that one kid they stood up for might make the whole world a better place.

Works cited

Gregory, Jamie. “‘How Dare They Take Away My Right To Education?" Happy Birthday, Malala Yousafzai!” Intellectual Freedom Blog, 9 July 2019, www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=18231.

“INTERVIEW: In Fighting for Girls' Education, UN Advocate Malala Yousafzai Finds Her Purpose | UN News.” United Nations, United Nations, 5 Oct. 2017, news.un.org/en/story/2017/10/567872-interview-fighting-girls-education-un-advocate-malala-yousafzai-finds-her.

“Malala Yousafzai Fast Facts.” CNN, Cable News Network, 5 July 2019, www.cnn.com/2015/08/20/world/malala-yousafzai-fast-facts/index.html.

“Malala Yousafzai Nobel Peace Prize Speech.” Youtube, uploaded by Malala Fund, 11 Dec. 2014, www.youtubeMalala Yousafzai Speaks at Harvard.com/watch?v=MOqIotJrFVM.

“Malala Yousafzai Speaks at Harvard.” Youtube, uploaded by HarvardFoundation, 17 Oct. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1tOe4SKbLU

Yousafzai, Malala, and Christina Lamb. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. Back Bay Books, 2016.