Biographical note

Malala Yousafzai, the educational campaigner from Swat Valley, Pakistan, came to public attention by writing for BBC Urdu about life under the Taliban. Using the pen name Gul Makai, she often spoke about her family's fight for girls' education in her community. In October 2012 Malala was targeted by the Taliban and shot while returning home from school. She survived and continues her campaign for education. In 2011, in recognition of her courage and advocacy, Malala was nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize and won Pakistan's first National Youth Peace Prize. She is the youngest person ever to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize and has received numerous other awards, including the International Children's Peace Prize (2013), the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, and the Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience Award. Malala now attends the University of Oxford and continues to champion universal access to education through Malala Fund (malala.org), a non-profit organisation that invests in community-led programs and supports education advocates around the world.