Page 124 - SOMERVILLE SCHOOL GREATER NOIDA

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON I KNOW

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Born on 12 July, 1997 in the beautiful Swat Valley of Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai is an inspiration for
young girls all over the globe. She is a women’s rights activist 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 banned girls from

attending school. Her advocacy grew into an international movement. While raising her voice against

injustice, she was shot in her left eye socket and under her left shoulder. She slumped onto her friend,

Moniba’s lap with pool of blood around. There was no hope of her survival and some people even

speculated that she would either become blind or die. But this lady of iron will not only battled the

excruciating pain but also defeated death.

I am deeply impressed with the way she overcame all odds. Her book, ‘I am Malala’ inspires me a lot.

Some of her quotes like, ‘ They thought bullets could silence us, but they failed’, ‘One child, one

teacher, one book and one pen can change the world’, ‘Education is the power for women’, When the

world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful’ are very close to my heart. Although she is just 21

years old but she empowers women all over the world. She is also the subject of the Oscar shortlisted

documentary, ‘He Named Me Malala’ and also featured as one of the most influential person globally by

Times Magazine. Malala is an epitome of a modern woman with an indomitable will and is a source of

strength for women round the globe including me.

-Elizabeth Anna Joseph

VII-B