Malala Yousafzai, Human Rights, Equal Rights, Feminism, Education, Pakistan, Nobel Peace Prize, Taliban, Child, Girl, Woman, the Power of One, discrimination

1. For the first anniversary of the attempt on her life on
October 9, 2012, we have prepared this brief tribute to
the determination, achievements, and wisdom of Malala
Yousafzai – an inspiration to us all.
Robert B. Fitzpatrick, PLLC
Attorneys and Counselors at Law
http://www.robertbfitzpatrick.com
fitzpatrick.law@verizon.net

2. One Child, One Pen
“Each time a man [or a woman] stands up for an ideal, or
acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against
injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing
each other from a million different centers of energy and
daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down
the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
- Robert F. Kennedy

3. • Yousafzai became involved
in activism for women’s
rights and education in
Pakistan at the age of
eleven when she began
writing a diary for the BBC
about life under the
Taliban.
• At the insistence of the
BBC’s editors, Yousafzai
wrote under a pseudonym.
• Although her blog ended in
March 2009, Yousafzai
began appearing appearing
on television to publicly
advocate for female
education.

4. • On October 9, 2012, Yousafzai
was shot in the head while riding
her schoolbus home.
• On the ride back, the ride was
interrupted when a Taliban
gunman boarded the bus and
shot Malala in the head.
• Two other girls, Kainat Riaz and
Shazia Ramzan were also
wounded in the attack.
• After the attack, Yousafzai was
airlifted by military helicopter to
a military hospital in
Peshawar, where she was treated
by army neurosurgeon Col.
Junaid Khan.

5. • Several days later, Yousafzai
was flown to Queen Elizabeth
Medical Center in
Birmingham, the United
Kingdom.
• Yousafzai survived the
attack, and has continued to
raise awareness about
women’s issues and
education on the
international stage.
• Yousafzai and her family
continue to reside in
Birmingham.

6. “Some people only ask
others to do something. I
believe that, why should I
wait for someone else?
Why don’t I take a step and
move forward? When the
whole world is silent, even
one voice becomes
powerful.”
- Malala
Yousafzai, speaking at
Harvard, September
28, 2013.
“Here they consider me as a
good girl, the girl who
stood up for children’s
rights and the girl who was
shot by the Taliban. They
never look at me as
Malala, as their friend, and
as a normal girl. In Pakistan
I was just Malala, simply
Malala.”
- Malala Yousafzai, in an
interview with the
BBC, October 7, 2013.
“One child, one
teacher, one book, and
one pen, can change the
world.”
- Malala Yousafzai before
the U.N., July 12, 2013.

7. • Yousafzai has been recognized by
numerous countries, as well as national
and international
organizations, including:
• Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social
Justice;
• Ambassador of Conscience Award from
Amnesty International;
• Sitara-e-Shujaat, Pakistan’s third-highest
award for civilian bravery;
• One of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in
the World;
• International Children’s Peace Price, 2013;
• Yousafzai was nominated for the Nobel
Peace Price in March 2013. A petition for
her selection can be found here:
http://www.change.org/en-
CA/petitions/nobel-peace-prize-for-
malala
• Numerous prominent politicians and leaders
have endorsed the petition.

8. • Malala Yousafzai’s Charity:
http://www.malalafund.com
• The Women in the World
Foundation:
http://womenintheworld.org
• The Office of the UN Special
Envoy for Global Education:
http://educationenvoy.org/p
etition
• More Information:
http://www.vitalvoices.org/n
ode/3326