Malala Yousafzai was just 15 when she was shot in the head while returning from school in Mingora, Pakistan, in October 2012. She had angered the fundamentalist Muslim group by writing about life under the Taliban for the BBC, and arguing that girls should be allowed to pursue an education.
"It's an honor to be awarded the Liberty Medal," Yousafzai, now 17, said. "I accept this award on behalf of all the children around the world who are struggling to get an education."
The medal has been awarded annually since 1989, when Polish Solidarity founder Lech Walesa received it first. Since then, recipients have included Muhammad Ali, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and last year, then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
After surviving the attack, Yousafzai continued to be an outspoken advocate on education, prompting Gordon Brown, the United Nations special envoy for global education, to petition the agency to recommit to a goal of universal primary education for children around the world.
The petition gained more than 3 million signatures and helped lead Pakistan to pass a Right to Education bill, a first in that country.
By Ruchi Singh
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
