Malala Yousafzai

Collected Speeches
2013-2022
 Index of Speeches

Speech 1 July 12, 2013: 16th Birthday Speech at UN

Speech 2 December 14, 2014: Nobel Prize Acceptance

Speech 3 March 23, 2019: World Assembly of Women

Speech 4 July 5, 2019: G7 Education and Development

Speech 5 September 9, 2021: UN Security Council

Speech 6 September 26, 2022: UN General Assembly

 Who is Malala Yousafzai?

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist and Nobel laureate born on July 12, 1997, in
Mingora, Swat Valley, Pakistan. She gained worldwide recognition for her advocacy of
girls' education and women's rights, particularly in her native region of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa in northwest Pakistan, where the Taliban had banned girls from attending
school.

At a young age, Malala started blogging for BBC Urdu under a pseudonym, sharing her
experiences living under Taliban rule and her determination to receive an education.
However, her outspokenness and activism made her a target. In 2012, when she was just
15 years old, she was shot in the head by a masked gunman while returning from school.
The assassination attempt sparked international outrage and drew attention to the plight
of girls' education in Pakistan.

Miraculously, Malala survived the attack and was airlifted to the United Kingdom for
medical treatment. Her incredible resilience and determination further inspired people
around the world. She continued her education in the UK and became an advocate for
the right to education globally, co-authoring the memoir "I Am Malala: The Story of the
Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.”

Malala's activism earned her numerous accolades and honors. In 2014, she became the
youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, jointly awarded to her and Indian child
rights activist Kailash Satyarthi. She used the prize money to establish the Malala Fund, a
nonpro t organization focused on advocating for girls' education worldwide.

Since then, Malala has continued to champion education and women's rights, delivering
powerful speeches at the United Nations and various international forums. She has
become a prominent global gure, using her platform to raise awareness about the
challenges faced by girls and young women in accessing education.

Malala's unwavering commitment to education and her fearless advocacy have made her
an inspiration to millions. Her story serves as a reminder of the power of education and
the importance of standing up for what you believe in, regardless of the obstacles faced.
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Malala Yousafzai
16th birthday speech at the United Nations
July 12, 2013
New York, New York

Bismillah hir rahman ir rahim. In the name of God, the most

merciful, the most bene cent.

Honourable UN Secretary General Mr Ban Ki-moon, Respected

President General Assembly Vuk Jeremic Honourable UN envoy for
Global education Mr Gordon Brown, Respected elders and my dear
brothers and sisters

Today, it is an honour for me to be speaking again after a long time.

Being here with such honourable people is a great moment in my
life.
I don't know where to begin my speech. I don't know what people
would be expecting me to say. But first of all, thank you to God for
whom we all are equal and thank you to every person who has
prayed for my fast recovery and a new life. I cannot believe how
much love people have shown me. I have received thousands of
good wish cards and gifts from all over the world. Thank you to all of
them. Thank you to the children whose innocent words encouraged
me. Thank you to my elders whose prayers strengthened me.
I would like to thank my nurses, doctors and all of the staff of the
hospitals in Pakistan and the UK and the UAE government who
have helped me get better and recover my strength. I fully support
Mr Ban Ki-moon the Secretary-General in his Global Education First
Initiative and the work of the UN Special Envoy Mr Gordon Brown.
And I thank them both for the leadership they continue to give. They
continue to inspire all of us to action.
Dear brothers and sisters, do remember one thing. Malala day is
not my day. Today is the day of every woman, every boy and every
girl who have raised their voice for their rights. There are hundreds
of Human rights activists and social workers who are not only
speaking for human rights, but who are struggling to achieve their
goals of education, peace and equality. Thousands of people have
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been killed by the terrorists and millions have been injured. I am just
one of them.
So here I stand... one girl among many.
I speak – not for myself, but for all girls and boys.
I raise up my voice – not so that I can shout, but so that those
without a voice can be heard.
Those who have fought for their rights:
Their right to live in peace.
Their right to be treated with dignity.
Their right to equality of opportunity.
Their right to be educated.
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. And then, out of
that silence came, thousands of voices. 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 was born. I am the same Malala.
My ambitions are the same. My hopes are the same. My dreams
are the same.
Dear sisters and brothers, I am not against anyone. Neither am I
here to speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban or
any other terrorists group. I am here to speak up for the right of
education of every child. I want education for the sons and the
daughters of all the extremists especially the Taliban.
I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there is a gun in
my hand and he stands in front of me. I would not shoot him. This is
the compassion that I have learnt from Muhammad-the prophet of
mercy, Jesus christ and Lord Buddha. This is the legacy of change
that I have inherited from Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and
Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This is the philosophy of non-violence that I
have learnt from Gandhi Jee, Bacha Khan and Mother Teresa. And
this is the forgiveness that I have learnt from my mother and father.
This is what my soul is telling me, be peaceful and love everyone.
Dear sisters and brothers, we realise the importance of light when
we see darkness. We realise the importance of our voice when we
are silenced. In the same way, when we were in Swat, the north of
Pakistan, we realised the importance of pens and books when we
saw the guns.
The wise saying, “The pen is mightier than sword” was true. The
extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education
frightens them. They are afraid of women. The power of the voice of
women frightens them. And that is why they killed 14 innocent
medical students in the recent attack in Quetta. And that is why they
killed many female teachers and polio workers in Khyber Pukhtoon
Khwa and FATA. That is why they are blasting schools every day.
Because they were and they are afraid of change, afraid of the
equality that we will bring into our society.
I remember that there was a boy in our school who was asked by a
journalist, “Why are the Taliban against education?” He answered
very simply. By pointing to his book he said, “A Talib doesn't know
what is written inside this book.” They think that God is a tiny, little
conservative being who would send girls to the hell just because of
going to school. The terrorists are misusing the name of Islam and
Pashtun society for their own personal benefits. Pakistan is peace-
loving democratic country. Pashtuns want education for their
daughters and sons. And Islam is a religion of peace, humanity and
brotherhood. Islam says that it is not only each child's right to get
education, rather it is their duty and responsibility.
Honourable Secretary General, peace is necessary for education.
In many parts of the world especially Pakistan and Afghanistan;
terrorism, wars and conflicts stop children to go to their schools. We
are really tired of these wars. Women and children are suffering in
many parts of the world in many ways. In India, innocent and poor
children are victims of child labour. Many schools have been
destroyed in Nigeria. People in Afghanistan have been affected by
the hurdles of extremism for decades. Young girls have to do
domestic child labour and are forced to get married at early age.
Poverty, ignorance, injustice, racism and the deprivation of basic
rights are the main problems faced by both men and women.
Dear fellows, today I am focusing on women's rights and girls'
education because they are suffering the most. There was a time
when women social activists asked men to stand up for their rights.
But, this time, we will do it by ourselves. I am not telling men to step
away from speaking for women's rights rather I am focusing on
women to be independent to fight for themselves.
Dear sisters and brothers, now it's time to speak up.
So today, we call upon the world leaders to change their strategic
policies in favour of peace and prosperity.
We call upon the world leaders that all the peace deals must protect
women and children's rights. A deal that goes against the dignity of
women and their rights is unacceptable.
We call upon all governments to ensure free compulsory education
for every child all over the world.
We call upon all governments to fight against terrorism and
violence, to protect children from brutality and harm.
We call upon the developed nations to support the expansion of
educational opportunities for girls in the developing world.
We call upon all communities to be tolerant – to reject prejudice
based on cast, creed, sect, religion or gender. To ensure freedom
and equality for women so that they can flourish. We cannot all
succeed when half of us are held back.
We call upon our sisters around the world to be brave – to embrace
the strength within themselves and realise their full potential.
Dear brothers and sisters, we want schools and education for every
child's bright future. We will continue our journey to our destination
of peace and education for everyone. No one can stop us. We will
speak for our rights and we will bring change through our voice. We
must believe in the power and the strength of our words. Our words
can change the world.
Because we are all together, united for the cause of education. And
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. Dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget that
millions of people are suffering from poverty, injustice and
ignorance. We must not forget that millions of children are out of
schools. We must not forget that our sisters and brothers are
waiting for a bright peaceful future.
So let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty and
terrorism and let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most
powerful weapons.
One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the
world.
Education is the only solution. Education First.

[Link]
Malala Yousafzai: Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech
DECEMBER 10, 2014
OSLO, NORWAY

Bismillah hir rahman ir rahim. In the name of God, the most merciful, the
most bene cent.

Your Majesties, Your royal highnesses, distinguished members of the

Norwegian Nobel Committee,

Dear sisters and brothers, today is a day of great happiness for me. I am
humbled that the Nobel Committee has selected me for this precious
award.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support and love. Thank you
for the letters and cards that I still receive from all around the world. Your
kind and encouraging words strengthens and inspires me.

I would like to thank my parents for their unconditional love. Thank you
to my father for not clipping my wings and for letting me y. Thank you to
my mother for inspiring me to be patient and to always speak the truth
— which we strongly believe is the true message of Islam. And also
thank you to all my wonderful teachers, who inspired me to believe in
myself and be brave.

I am proud, well in fact, I am very proud to be the rst Pashtun, the rst
Pakistani, and the youngest person to receive this award. Along with
that, along with that, I am pretty certain that I am also the rst recipient
of the Nobel Peace Prize who still ghts with her younger brothers. I
want there to be peace everywhere, but my brothers and I are still
working on that.

I am also honoured to receive this award together with Kailash Satyarthi,

who has been a champion for children's rights for a long time. Twice as
long, in fact, than I have been alive. I am proud that we can work
together, we can work together and show the world that an Indian and a
Pakistani, they can work together and achieve their goals of children's
rights.
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Dear brothers and sisters, I was named after the inspirational Malalai of
Maiwand who is the Pashtun Joan of Arc. The word Malala means grief
stricken "sad," but in order to lend some happiness to it, my grandfather
would always call me Malala — "The happiest girl in the world" and
today I am very happy that we are together ghting for an important
cause.

This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want
education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for
those voiceless children who want change.

I am here to stand up for their rights, to raise their voice… it is not time
to pity them. It is not time to pity them. It is time to take action so it
becomes the last time, the last time, so it becomes the last time that we
see a child deprived of education.

I have found that people describe me in many different ways.

Some people call me the girl who was shot by the Taliban.

And some, the girl who fought for her rights.

Some people, call me a "Nobel laureate" now.

However, my brothers still call me that annoying bossy sister. As far as I

know, I am just a committed and even stubborn person who wants to
see every child getting quality education, who wants to see women
having equal rights and who wants peace in every corner of the world.

Education is one of the blessings of life — and one of its necessities.

That has been my experience during the 17 years of my life. In my
paradise home, Swat, I always loved learning and discovering new
things. I remember when my friends and I would decorate our hands
with henna on special occasions. And instead of drawing owers and
patterns we would paint our hands with mathematical formulas and
equations.
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 We had a thirst for education, we had a thirst for education because our
future was right there in that classroom. We would sit and learn and read
together. We loved to wear neat and tidy school uniforms and we would
sit there with big dreams in our eyes. We wanted to make our parents
proud and prove that we could also excel in our studies and achieve
those goals, which some people think only boys can.

But things did not remain the same. When I was in Swat, which was a
place of tourism and beauty, suddenly changed into a place of terrorism.
I was just ten that more than 400 schools were destroyed. Women were
ogged. People were killed. And our beautiful dreams turned into
nightmares.

Education went from being a right to being a crime.

Girls were stopped from going to school.

When my world suddenly changed, my priorities changed too. I had two

options. One was to remain silent and wait to be killed. And the second
was to speak up and then be killed.

I chose the second one. I decided to speak up.

We could not just stand by and see those injustices of the terrorists
denying our rights, ruthlessly killing people and misusing the name of
Islam. We decided to raise our voice and tell them: Have you not learnt,
have you not learnt that in the Holy Quran Allah says: if you kill one
person it is as if you kill the whole humanity? Do you not know that
Mohammad, peace be upon him, the prophet of mercy, he says, do not
harm yourself or others."

And do you not know that the very rst word of the Holy Quran is the
word Iqra," which means "read"?

The terrorists tried to stop us and attacked me and my friends who are
here today, on our school bus in 2012, but neither their ideas nor their
bullets could win.
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We survived. And since that day, our voices have grown louder and
louder.

I tell my story, not because it is unique, but because it is not.

It is the story of many girls.

Today, I tell their stories too. I have brought with me some of my sisters
from Pakistan, from Nigeria and from Syria, who share this story. My
brave sisters Shazia and Kainat who were also shot that day on our
school bus. But they have not stopped learning. And my brave sister
Kainat Soomro who went through severe abuse and extreme violence,
even her brother was killed, but she did not succumb.

Also my sisters here, whom I have met during my Malala Fund

campaign. My 16-year-old courageous sister, Muzoon from Syria, who
now lives in Jordan as refugee and goes from tent to tent encouraging
girls and boys to learn. And my sister Amina, from the North of Nigeria,
where Boko Haram threatens, and stops girls and even kidnaps girls,
just for wanting to go to school.

Though I appear as one girl, though I appear as one girl, one person,
who is 5 foot 2 inches tall, if you include my high heels. (It means I am 5
foot only) I am not a lone voice, I am not a lone voice, I am many.

I am Malala. But I am also Shazia.

I am Kainat.

I am Kainat Soomro.

I am Muzoon.

I am Amina.
I am those 66 million girls* who are deprived of education. And today I
am not raising my voice, it is the voice of those 66 million girls.

We see many people becoming refugees in Syria, Gaza and Iraq. In

Afghanistan, we see families being killed in suicide attacks and bomb
blasts.

Many children in Africa do not have access to education because of

poverty. And as I said, we still see, we still see girls who have no
freedom to go to school in the north of Nigeria.

Many children in countries like Pakistan and India, as Kailash Satyarthi

mentioned, many children, especially in India and Pakistan are deprived
of their right to education because of social taboos, or they have been
forced into child marriage or into child labour.

One of my very good school friends, the same age as me, who had
always been a bold and con dent girl, dreamed of becoming a doctor.
But her dream remained a dream. At the age of 12, she was forced to
get married. And then soon she had a son, she had a child when she
herself was still a child — only 14. I know that she could have been a
very good doctor.

But she couldn't, because she was a girl.

Her story is why I dedicate the Nobel Peace Prize money to Malala
Fund, to help give girls quality education, everywhere, anywhere in the
world and to raise their voices. The rst place this funding will go to is
where my heart is, to build schools in Pakistan — especially in my home
of Swat and Shangla.

In my own village, there is still no secondary school for girls. And it is my

wish and my commitment, and now my challenge to build one so that
my friends and my sisters can go there to school and get quality
education and to get this opportunity to ful l their dreams.
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 This is where I will begin, but it is not where I will stop. I will continue this
ght until I see every child, every child in school.

Dear brothers and sisters, great people, who brought change, like Martin
Luther King and Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Aung San Suu Kyi,
once stood here on this stage. I hope the steps that Kailash Satyarthi
and I have taken so far and will take on this journey will also bring
change — lasting change.

My great hope is that this will be the last time, this will be the last time
we must ght for education. Let's solve this once and for all.

We have already taken many steps. Now it is time to take a leap. It is

not time to tell the world leaders to realise how important education is —
they already know it — their own children are in good schools. Now it is
time to call them to take action for the rest of the world's children.

We ask the world leaders to unite and make education their top priority.

Fifteen years ago, the world leaders decided on a set of global goals,
the Millennium Development Goals. In the years that have followed, we
have seen some progress. The number of children out of school has
been halved, as Kailash Satyarthi said. However, the world focused only
on primary education, and progress did not reach everyone.

In year 2015, representatives from all around the world will meet in the
United Nations to set the next set of goals, the Sustainable
Development Goals. This will set the world's ambition for the next
generations.

The world can no longer accept, the world can no longer accept that
basic education is enough. Why do leaders accept that for children in
developing countries, only basic literacy is suf cient, when their own
children do homework in Algebra, Mathematics, Science and Physics?

Leaders must seize this opportunity to guarantee a free, quality, primary

and secondary education for every child.
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Some will say this is impractical, or too expensive, or too hard. Or
maybe even impossible. But it is time the world thinks bigger.

Dear sisters and brothers, the so-called world of adults may understand
it, but we children don't. Why is it that countries which we call strong" are
so powerful in creating wars but are so weak in bringing peace? Why is
it that giving guns is so easy but giving books is so hard? Why is it, why
is it that making tanks is so easy, but building schools is so hard?

We are living in the modern age and we believe that nothing is

impossible. We have reached the moon 45 years ago and maybe will
soon land on Mars. Then, in this 21st century, we must be able to give
every child quality education.

Dear sisters and brothers, dear fellow children, we must work… not wait.
Not just the politicians and the world leaders, we all need to contribute.
Me. You. We. It is our duty.

Let us become the rst generation to decide to be the last, let us

become the rst generation that decides to be the last that sees empty
classrooms, lost childhoods, and wasted potentials.

Let this be the last time that a girl or a boy spends their childhood in a
factory.

Let this be the last time that a girl is forced into early child marriage.

Let this be the last time that a child loses life in war.

Let this be the last time that we see a child out of school.

Let this end with us.

Let's begin this ending together, today, right here, right now. Let's begin
this ending now. Thank you so much.
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*Note: UNESCO now estimates more than 130 million girls around the
world are out of school.

[Link]
Malala Yousafzai
World Assembly of Women speech
MARCH 23, 2019
Tokyo, Japan
Good morning. Ohayōgozaimasu. Assalam-u-alikum.

Mr. Prime Minister and Mrs. Abe, Vice President Michetti, High
Commissioner Bachelet, distinguished guests, people of Japan —
thank you so much for the warm welcome to your country and for
inviting me to speak at this year’s World Assembly of Women.

I am so happy to visit Japan for the rst time and grateful to Prime
Minister Abe for inviting me and speaking with me yesterday about
the importance of girls’ education.

I appreciate his leadership for the women of Japan and for women
and girls around the world through his focus on the Sustainable
Development Goals and Japan’s aid to education.

I am also grateful that he and Mrs. Abe were so kind to me last

night at dinner when I accidentally ate a large portion of wasabi. I
had never tasted anything like this! My eyes started to water and I
struggled to keep my composure in front of this distinguished
company. But they were very kind to me!

This morning I looked out my window at a beautiful garden below —

the green grass, streams and trees. The beauty of Japan reminded
me of my home in Swat Valley, Pakistan.

I spent my childhood in a peaceful place sometimes called the

Switzerland of the East. I loved walking through the streets and
laughing with my friends. My little brothers had pet chickens. My
mother shopped in the local markets with our neighbours. My father
was a teacher. My greatest joy was studying and going to school.
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 But everything changed when extremists took over our town. They
banned many things — like owning a television or listening to music
— and they enforced the harshest punishments on those who
de ed their orders.

And they declared that girls could no longer go to school.

In January 2009, when I was just 11 years old, I said goodbye to my

classmates, not knowing when — if ever — I would see them again.

At that moment, my father and I knew we had to speak out —

because we knew that life without education meant my friends and I
would have no future at all. No chance to pursue our own dreams,
no chance to offer our contributions to the community we loved.

And the extremists did target me for defending my right to

education. But they failed. They only made my voice louder — and
today I am here to speak to all of you on behalf of 130 million girls
still out of school.

Many of those girls look at my story and have hope that they will go
to school, complete their education and choose their own future.

And many of the women in this room are here because we were
inspired by women who came before us.

Women like Grace Hopper, a pioneer in computer programming.

Japan’s rst female astronaut, Chiaki Mukai. Or Benazir Bhutto, the
rst female Prime Minister of Pakistan, who was my inspiration.

You are here because someone believed in you, like my father

believed in me.

Because you took advantage of the opportunities presented to you.

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Because you fought for your ideas to be heard.

And most of all, you are here because you had an education.

But — unlike you and me — millions of girls around the world are
unprepared for the modern workforce.

If we hope to create a world where all women can shine — where

more women are driving innovation, holding seats in government or
running companies — our leaders must invest in girls’ education.

We know that girls trained in STEM can produce extraordinary

innovation.

In Ethiopia, 19-year-old Betelhem developed software to help

schools with limited internet to access the resources their students
need to learn.

In South Africa, 18-year-old Kiara found a solution to hydrating

crops during droughts.

And tomorrow I’ll meet Kanon, an 18-year-old from Chiba, Japan

who founded a robotics team in her high school.

But right now we are only seeing a fraction of what young women
like these can contribute. As technology changes the way we live,
learn and earn, almost one billion girls lack the skills they need for
the modern workforce.

Last year, Malala Fund and the World Bank published research
showing that if all girls completed secondary school, they could add
up to $30 trillion to the global economy.
Many students entering classrooms today will work in jobs that don’t
even exist yet. That means we must invest in girls today to ensure
that women can succeed in the jobs of tomorrow.

Five years have passed since our leaders agreed to the

Sustainable Development Goals including 12 years of quality
education for all girls. Unfortunately, we are far behind in making the
necessary investments to ful l these promises.

This week I’m asking G20 leaders to commit new funding to give
girls 12 years of education and the skills they need for the future
workforce.

As the hosts of this year’s G20, Prime Minister Abe and Japan have
the opportunity to lead on girls’ education. I can’t think of a better
legacy for this year’s summit or a better gift for Japan to give the
world.

Prime Minister Abe cannot do it alone. We need all G20 heads of

state, business leaders and advocates to join this ght.

We have the opportunity to help millions of girls go to school — and

we must take action.

I was one of them 10 years ago — and I have no doubt about this: if
we invest in girls today, a future beyond our imagining is possible.

Arigatou. Thank you.

[Link]
speech
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Malala Yousafzai
G7 Education and Development Ministers Meeting
July 05, 2019
Paris, France
Good afternoon. Bonjour. Assalam-u-alikum.

Thank you, Frances, for the introduction and for your work to
support girls in Nigeria.

Minister Le Drian, Minister Blanquer, Madame Azoulay, Honourable

Ministers, UNESCO, distinguished guests and Excellencies.

Thank you so much for the warm welcome to this country and thank
you for prioritising a discussion on education.

This is my rst time visiting UNESCO in France — a beautiful city

that I look forward to exploring. I have studied the French
Revolution in my A-level exams and I am completely mesmerised
by looking at the buildings and the historical places here. Though
this is my rst time visiting France, this is not my rst time speaking
in a room like this asking leaders like you to help 130 million out-of-
school girls access education.

I was 11 years old the rst time I spoke about why girls should go to
school. The Taliban had entered Swat Valley. They took away peace
from our people and banned girls' education. So, I fought for my
rights and the rights of girls in my hometown, in every way I could.

I was 17 years old when I won the Nobel Peace Prize. I asked girls
from several countries to join me in Oslo — girls who, like me and
millions of others, had been denied their education. Together, we
called on people everywhere to pay attention to the challenges girls
face and to join our ght for education.
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No matter the opportunity — a media interview, a business meeting
or standing at a podium addressing world leaders — my message
remains the same: invest in girls’ education.

Educating girls is the single best investment leaders can make in

our world’s future. I will say this again and again until every girl is in
school.

Because with passion and persistence, women and girls are ghting
for progress with whatever tools they have.

Girls are engaging in activism online. Some are starting

organisations — to teach peers to code, to distribute menstrual
products to those in need, to develop solutions to climate change.

Female lmmakers are challenging social norms and telling stories

from new perspectives. Reporters are exposing abuse and
educating audiences about laws that disproportionately harm
women. Software developers are creating apps focused on
women’s health. Companies are hiring more women and starting to
invest in leadership initiatives for girls.

Whether you’re an executive who can help create a workplace that

values equality or a mother who can intervene in her daughter’s
forced marriage, we each have a role to play in creating a more
equal world.

Now at 21 years old, I want to support girls and other education

activists, like Frances, and create opportunities for them to speak
out about their work.

I want to deliver the message from young education activists to you

— the people responsible for making decisions about our collective
future.
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 So, to the leaders here today representing G7 countries, I urge you
to remember this:

Girls have the power to boost economies, create jobs, make

communities safer and drive industry. But almost one billion girls
and young women lack the education and skills they need to
succeed in the rapidly changing world that we live in.

If educated, girls could ll workforce gaps and add up to $30 trillion

to the global economy. But to see these bene ts, we need you to
reverse the current decline in funding for education.

We need you to help guarantee 12 years of education for every girl,

in every community, in every country in the world.

Right now, there is not enough getting done. Just 10% of your aid
goes to countries where girls face the biggest challenges. This
week and at the upcoming G7 Summit, I’m asking leaders to
commit new money to education for girls, particularly in the Sahel
region.

In sub-Saharan Africa, 75% of girls start school — but only 8% will

nish their secondary education. The rest of them, the vast majority,
will be forced to set aside their aspirations and face early child
marriage or a lifetime of insecure work.

And yet those girls still believe that leaders like you have the power
to help them.

Because you do. You have the power to determine budgets and
change the lives of millions of girls. You have a role to play in
achieving equality.

I hope you will join in doing your part and invest in girls’ education.

Merci. Thank you. [Link]

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Malala Yousafzai
Speech to United Nations Security Council
SEPTEMBER 9, 2021
NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Mr. President, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for the opportunity to address the Security Council as

you consider the urgent situation in Afghanistan. I am grateful to the
presidency for prioritising education in this critical moment for
Afghan girls.

I do not speak on behalf of Afghan girls and women today. As

you’ve heard from Wazhma Frogh, women and girls in Afghanistan
are speaking out for themselves.

But I do want to remind you what life is like for a girl living under
extremism and terrorism.

I heard bombs, gun re and explosions. My brothers and I ran into

our parents’ arms for protection. I was 10 years old.

I saw banners on shopping malls announcing women were not

allowed. I saw notices on school gates declaring girls were
prohibited. I saw women ogged in the streets. I was 11 years old.

I saw my home transformed from a place of peace to a place of fear

in just three years. I saw thousands of displaced people. I saw
homes and schools destroyed. I was 12 years old.

I saw injustice and I raised my voice for every girl’s right to go to

school. I saw a gunman stop my school bus, call my name and re
a bullet at me. I was 15 years old.
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Now I am 24. I carry scars of six surgeries to repair the damage of
that one bullet.

This is a story that many Afghan girls may share if we do not act.
Here are some of the stories we are already hearing:

Roshan, a female teacher and the sole breadwinner for her family,
has been told not to come to work anymore. She is now without an
income — and no longer able to do the job that she loves.

Aaria, an 11-year-old student, is worried that she may not be able to

return to school or pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer. Her
thoughts have turned to how she can help her father provide for the
family. Afghan women are demanding the right to choose their own
future. In Kabul, their protests were met with tear gas, ri e butts and
metal clubs.

I’ve had the privilege of working with many Afghan educators and
advocates who have spent the last two decades rebuilding an
education system from scratch. Because of their efforts, 39% of
children attending school in Afghanistan last year were girls.

Now that progress — and those girls’ futures — are under threat.
Our partners tell us that the doors to secondary schools in
Afghanistan have been shut. Teachers and students have been told
to wait at home. Many female teachers have been told that they no
longer have jobs because they are barred from teaching boys.

Mr. President, international human rights law guarantees girls’ right

to an education.

But it is not only an issue for individual rights. Girls’ education is a

powerful tool for building peace and security — and I urge the
Security Council to recognise it as such.
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When girls go to school, countries are able to recover from con ict
more quickly once peace is established. Educating girls helps
create stability and binds communities. People with more years of
education tend to coexist in harmony and peace.

But we also know that when girls receive an equitable and inclusive
education, it also helps prevent con ict. In some countries,
doubling the percentage of students nishing secondary school
have halved the risk of con ict.

Mr. President, the U.N. and its members must remember their
commitment to the protection of the “dignity and worth of the human
person.”

We must support education for Afghan girls because it is their

human right. And because it is vital to a peaceful and stable
Afghanistan.

So today, I am here to call on the Security Council to protect Afghan

girls and women and the future of this nation in four ways:

First, send a clear and unequivocal message to the Taliban that a

fundamental condition of any working relationship is upholding girls’
right to education in accordance with international treaties and
conventions.

Statements are not suf cient. The Taliban government must

guarantee and protect the rights of women and girls.

Second, build upon Security Council resolution 2593 by supporting

a robust monitoring mechanism to track and monitor abuses of
human rights in Afghanistan — including a speci c focus on girls’
education. I echo a call made by the U.N. High Commissioner for
Human Rights for Muslim-majority countries to share how they
successfully implemented international human rights norms in their
cultural and religious contexts.
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Third, put resolution 2593 into action with a signi cant increase in
humanitarian and development assistance to the U.N. and
international organisations to ensure all schools can open and
operate safely.

Right now the people of Afghanistan are facing a political crisis, a

months-long drought and COVID-19.

The Council must support additional assistance to neighbouring

countries and help provide education for refugee children. I urge the
leaders at Monday's emergency aid conference to agree to a
generous nancing package to ensure all Afghan children can
return to school as soon as possible.

Finally, the U.N. presence in every region of Afghanistan is needed

more than ever. To do this, a strengthened mandate and resources
for the U.N. Assistance Mission and other U.N. agencies in
Afghanistan are essential.

Mr. President, a united Security Council — speaking with one voice

for girls' education — can compel the Taliban to make real
concessions. This is vital not only for Afghan women and girls
themselves, but for long-term security in the region and our world.

I hope and trust that the Security Council will stand with the girls
and women of Afghanistan.

Thank you

[Link]
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Malala Yousafzai
Speech at the United Nations General Assembly
SEPTEMBER 26, 2022
New York, New York
Seven years ago I stood on this platform hoping that the voice of a
teenage girl who took a bullet for standing up for her education would be
heard.

On that day, leaders, corporations, civil society — all of us — committed

to work together to see every child in school by 2030.

Yet halfway to that target date, we are facing an education emergency.

Let’s remind you once again what’s happening.

In Afghanistan, Taliban have banned girls like Somaya from learning. In

Uganda and Pakistan, droughts and oods are ravaging homes like the
ones where Vanessa and I grew up. And con ict and violence in
Ethiopia, Ukraine and other countries are keeping girls like Yelizaveta
out of the classroom.

If you are serious about creating a safe and sustainable world for
children, then be serious about education. You’ve heard enough about
how education transforms lives, strengthens economies and contributes
to a more peaceful world.

You know every country, community and corporation would bene t from
every girl having access to free, safe, quality education.

And if you’re still in doubt about the impact of education, go ask a girl.
She will tell you what education means to her.

Most of you know what exactly needs to be done. You must not make
small, stingy and short-term pledges – but commit to uphold the right to
complete education and close the funding gap once and for all.
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You must use the power you have to take action. Allocate 20% of your
budgets to education. High-income countries: increase aid, cancel debts
and set fair global tax rules so that low-income countries can spend
more on girls.

Remove gender bias from curricula. Improve content. Make schools safe
for girls.

And work together with those who are closest to the challenges to
transform education.

Today, you heard from Somaya, Vanessa and Yelizaveta — they join
millions of young people around the world who have written demands in
the youth declaration and they stand ready to lead the way.

Soon you will hear from young leaders Ulises and Karimot on behalf of
youth around the world.

I hope, in another seven years, we will speak to you again. But instead
of urging you to help us, we’ll be cheering and celebrating the progress
you’ve made for girls.

When you leave the room today, please ask yourselves:

How many more generations are you willing to sacri ce?

How long will you make girls wait for what you promised?

How many more times do we have to stand on this stage in order to be

heard?

[Link]
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