Education today is one of the most sought after accomplishments for people around the world. To get ahead in any nation today, one must be educated. The education systems varies greatly from country to country. Many countries there is lack of a good education system set up or they only allow for a select few to become educated. A young girl in Pakistan felt so passionately about education and making it accessible for women that she risked her life for it. This girl is Malala Yousafzai and her story is quite incredible.

Under the Taliban rule girls were sometimes banned from attending school. As a young girl Malala loved going to school and felt deprived when the Taliban wouldn’t allow for girls to attend. She began writing for the Urdu speaking BBC channel under an anonymous name to speak out against what was going on in Pakistan. While on her way to school one day with the rest of her schoolmates, the van that transported them to class was stopped by Taliban soldiers. A masked man jumped into the van and demanded to know which one was Malala. When she was identified the masked man took out a gun and shot Malala in the face. She was rushed to a government run hospital in Pakistan but was then later transported to a hospital in the United Kingdom, where she survived the attempted murder.

Malala’s story became known over night and her impact has transcended the globe. Since her recovery Malala has become an education advocate and role model, especially for young girls. After recovering she went on to write a book entitled “I Am Malala.” The book tells her story and how she inspires others. She also began a non-profit called the “Malala Fund.” The Malala fund works to obtain access to at least twelve years of education for young girls. They fight for girls who are unable to fight for this right themselves because of patriarchal societies. In many nations women are still not looked at as equivalent to men and therefore such an important resource for young girls struggling to get an education.  In addition to co-authoring a book and starting the Malala Fund, she was the subject of the Oscar shortlisted documentary “I Am Malala.”  She was also listed as one of Time magazine’s most influential people in 2015. In 2014 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and is the youngest person in history to have been awarded a Nobel Prize.

Her inspirational story is still shared today, 5 years after the attack. Her story encourages young women everywhere to speak up for what they believe in. Education is so important, it’s what shapes our minds and allows us to grow into the people we are. Without education systems society wouldn’t be where it is today. If more people were as passionate about education as Malala, the world would be so different. Until there is education equality, we can use Malala’s story as encouragement and inspiration to keep moving forward to a brighter world.  To learn more about Malala and her story, you can visit the Malala Fund website or follow their twitter.