Today is women’s day. People all over the world are celebrating this very special day with utter excitement by giving gifts to the women of their lives. But my idea of celebrating women’s day is a little different from most of the people. I believe we must celebrate the existence of the great women that are there, enlightening the world with their wisdom and bravery. One such woman is Malala Yousafzai, who at the age of 18, became a Nobel laureate. Malala was born on July 12, 1997 in Pakistan, which was taken over by Taliban. Her famous speech “How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?” provoked the terrorists, who started threatening the little girl. Opportunities came across Malala’s ways and she came up as a strong blogger and inspirational speaker. She continued to speak for her right to education which provoked the taliban even more posing a threat to the girl and her family. Though Malala was frightened for the safety of her father—an anti-Taliban activist—she and her family initially felt that the fundamentalist group would not actually harm a child. On October 9, 2012, while she was headed to her way back home from school, a man boarded the school bus Malala was riding in and demanded to know which girl was Malala. When her friends looked toward Malala, the gunman fired at her, hitting Malala in the left side of her head; the bullet then traveled down her neck. Malala was gravely injured but she was a survivor. After suffering from severe head injuries and being paralyzed, she was treated in Peshawar. The girl was taken to the United States where in March 2013, she was able to begin attending school in Birmingham. Little did she know that a Nobel was coming her way.
This is the story of Malala, who survived head gun shot and now has a Nobel prize. We need such brave women in our country too. Men and women need to walk hand in hand in order to make the wheel of development move.
