Who is Malala Yousafzai? | Malala Yousafzai Biography and Wiki

Malala Yousafzai also known widely as Malala, is a Pakistani Pashtun activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate. She is known for human rights advocacy, especially the education of women and children in her native Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northwest Pakistan, where the local Taliban had at times banned girls from attending school. Her advocacy has grown into an international movement, and according to former Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, she has become “the most prominent citizen” of the country.

Malala Yousafzai Age and Birthday

Malala Yousafzai was born on July 12, 1997, in Mingora, Swat, Pakistan. She celebrates her birthday on July 12th every year.  Yousafzai will be 23 years old on July 12th, 2020.

Malala Yousafzai Height and Weight

Yousafzai is a woman of average stature. She stands at a height of 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m). She also weighs 63 kg (139 lbs).

Malala Yousafzai Family, Parents, and Siblings

Yousafzai was born on 12 July 1997 in the Swat District of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, into a lower-middle-class family. She is the daughter of Ziauddin Yousafzai and Tor Pekai Yousafzai. Her family is Sunni Muslim of Pashtun ethnicity, belonging to the Yusufzai tribe. The family did not have enough money for a hospital birth and as a result, Yousafzai was born at home with the help of neighbors. She was given her first name Malala (meaning “grief-stricken”) after Malalai of Maiwand, a famous Pashtun poet and warrior woman from southern Afghanistan. At her house in Mingora, she lived with her two younger brothers, Khushal and Atal, her parents, Ziauddin and Tor Pekai, and two pet chicken

Malala Yousafzai Dating, Relationship, and Boyfriend

Yousafzai likes to keep her personal life private hence information about her dating life is under research. It is not known whether she is married, dating, or has any children. However, this information will be updated as soon as it is available.

Malala Yousafzai Education

From March 2013 to July 2017, Yousafzai was a pupil at the all-girls Edgbaston High School in Birmingham. In August 2015, she received 6 A*s and 4 As at GCSE level. At A-Level, she studied Geography, History, Mathematics, and Religious Studies. Also applying to Durham, Warwick and the London School of Economics, Yousafzai was interviewed at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, in December 2016 and received a conditional offer of three As in her A-Levels; in August 2017, she was accepted to study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE).

Malala Yousafzai Shot by the Taliban

As Yousafzai became more recognized, the dangers facing her increased. Death threats against her were published in newspapers and slipped under her door. On Facebook, where she was an active user, she began to receive threats. Eventually, a Taliban spokesman said they were “forced” to act. In a meeting held in the summer of 2012, Taliban leaders unanimously agreed to kill her.

On 9 October 2012, a Taliban gunman shot Yousafzai as she rode home on a bus after taking an exam in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. Yousafzai was 15 years old at the time. According to reports, a masked gunman shouted: “Which one of you is Malala? Speak up, otherwise, I will shoot you all.” Upon being identified, Yousafzai was shot with one bullet, which traveled 18 inches from the side of her left eye, through her neck and landed in her shoulder. Two other girls were also wounded in the shooting: Kainat Riaz and Shazia Ramzan, both of whom were stable enough following the shooting, to speak to reporters and provide details of the attack.

After the shooting, Yousafzai was airlifted to a military hospital in Peshawar, where doctors were forced to begin operating after swelling developed in the left portion of her brain, which had been damaged by the bullet when it passed through her head. After a five-hour operation, doctors successfully removed the bullet, which had lodged in her shoulder near her spinal cord. The day following the attack, doctors performed a decompressive craniectomy, in which part of her skull was removed to allow room for swelling.

Yousafzai had come out of her coma by 17 October 2012, was responding well to treatment, and was said to have a good chance of fully recovering without any brain damage. Later updates on 20 and 21 October stated that she was stable, but was still battling an infection. By 8 November, she was photographed sitting up in bed. On 11 November, Yousafzai underwent surgery for eight and a half hours, in order to repair her facial nerve.

On 3 January 2013, Yousafzai was discharged from the hospital to continue her rehabilitation at her family’s temporary home in the West Midlands, where she had weekly physiotherapy. She underwent a five-hour-long operation on 2 February to reconstruct her skull and restore her hearing with a cochlear implant, after which she was reported to be in stable condition. Yousafzai wrote in July 2014 that her facial nerve had recovered up to 96%.

Malala Yousafzai Speech at the U.N.

Nine months after being shot by the Taliban, Yousafzai gave a speech at the United Nations on her 16th birthday in 2013. Yousafzai highlighted her focus on education and women’s rights, urging world leaders to change their policies.

Following the attack, Yousafzai said that “the terrorists thought that 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.”

Yousafzai also urged action against illiteracy, poverty, and terrorism:

“The extremists were, and they are, afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women… Let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons.”

Malala Yousafzai Malala Day

At Yousafzai’s 2013 speech at the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pronounced July 12th – Yousafzai’s birthday – ‘Malala Day’ in honor of the young leader’s activism to ensure education for all children. At the announcement, Ban said:

“Malala chose to mark her 16th birthday with the world. No child should have to die for going to school. Nowhere should teachers fear to teach or children fear to learn. Together, we can change the picture.”

Malala Yousafzai Quotes | Quotations

• “If I win Nobel Peace Prize, it would be a great opportunity for me, but if I don’t get it, it’s not important because my goal is not to get Nobel Peace Prize, my goal is to get peace and my goal is to see the education of every child.”
• “Dear friends, on the 9th of October, 2012, the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead. They shot my friends too. They thought that the bullets would silence us, but they failed.”
• “I want people to remember that Pakistan is my country. Even if its people hate me, I will still love it.”
• “I am only talking about education, women’s rights and peace. I want poverty to end in tomorrow’s Pakistan. I want every girl in Pakistan to go to school.”
• “I am still the old Malala. I still try to live normally but yes, my life has changed a lot.”
• “We human beings don’t realize how great God is. He has given us an extraordinary brain and a sensitive loving heart. He has blessed us with two lips to talk and express our feelings, two eyes which see a world of colours and beauty, two feet which walk on the road of life, two hands to work for us, and two ears to hear the words of love. As I found with my ear, no one knows how much power they have in their each and every organ until they lose one.”
• “read thousands of books and I will power myself with knowledge. Pens and books are the weapons that defeat terrorism.”

Malala Yousafzai Measurements and Facts

Here are some interesting facts and body measurements you should know about Malala Yousafzai.

• Full Name: Malala Yousafzai
• Age: 22 years (2019)
• Date of Birth: July 12, 1997
• Place of Birth: Mingora
• Education‎: Edgbaston High School
• Birthday: July 12
• Nationality: Pakistani
• Father’s Name: Ziauddin Yousafzai
• Mother’s Name: Toor Pekai Yousafzai
• Siblings:  Atal Yousafzai, Khushal Yousafzai
• Spouse: Single
• Children: None
• Height: 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m)
• Weight: 63 kg (139 lbs)
• Profession: Activist
• Known For: Her social activism, especially in the field of education, for young and underprivileged girls
• Net worth: USD $1.87 million (Approx)
• Salary: Under review

Malala Yousafzai Awards

In October 2013, the European Parliament awarded Yousafzai the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in acknowledgment of her work. In October 2014, Yousafzai became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, at just 17 years old; she received the award along with Indian children’s rights activist Kailash Satyarthi.

Yousafzai was first nominated for the Nobel in 2013 but did not win. She was renominated in March 2014. 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.” Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described Yousafzai as “a brave and gentle advocate of peace who, through the simple act of going to school, became a global teacher.”

In April 2017, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Yousafzai as a U.N. Messenger of Peace to promote girls education. The appointment is the highest honor given by the United Nations for an initial period of two years.

Yousafzai was also given honorary Canadian citizenship in April 2017. She is the sixth person and the youngest in the country’s history to receive the honor.

Frequently Asked Questions About Malala Yousafzai

Who is Malala Yousafzai?

Yousafzai is a Pakistani education advocate who, at the age of 17 in 2014, became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize after surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban. Yousafzai became an advocate for girls’ education when she herself was still a child, which resulted in the Taliban issuing a death threat against her. On October 9, 2012, a gunman shot Yousafzai when she was traveling home from school. She survived and has continued to speak out on the importance of education. In 2013, she gave a speech to the United Nations and published her first book, I Am Malala.

How old is Malala Yousafzai?

Yousafzai was born on July 12, 1997, in Mingora, Pakistan, located in the country’s Swat Valley. She is 23 years as of 2020.

How tall is Malala Yousafzai?

Malala stands at a height of 1.60 m.

Is Malala Yousafzai married?

Details about her love life are still under review. We will let you know when she gets in a relationship or when we discover helpful information about her love life.

How much is Yousafzai worth?

Malala has an approximate net worth of $1.87 million. This amount has been accrued from her leading roles in the political industry

Where does Malala live?

Because of security reasons, Yousafzai has not shared her precise location of residence. We will immediately update this information if we get the location and images of her house.

Is Malala dead or alive?

Malala is alive and in good health. There have been no reports of her being sick or having any health-related issues.