Malala Yousafzai and her book need no introduction.* Deeming it a “must-read” for all young women, the club decided to provide a copy to five local schools. No doubt the schools have already ordered their own copies but we wanted to demonstrate that our organisation is at one with Malala in the huge importance we attach to the right of every girl to an education. The book was co-written with Christina Lamb, Foreign Correspondent with The Sunday Times and an interesting and inspiring speaker at our 2009 Federation Conference in Cardiff.
* But just in case …
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday 9 October 2012, she almost paid the ultimate price. Shot in the head at point blank range while riding the bus home from school, few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala’s miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in Northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls’ education, and of Malala’s parents’ fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons. It will make you believe in the power of one person’s voice to inspire change in the world.