Life under Taliban rule in Afghanistan is 'getting worse each every day,' Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai told European Parliament (EP) President Roberta Metsola.
The two women recently met to discuss female education and empowerment.
“Every girl deserves the right to education,” President Metsola posted to Facebook.
“Thank you Malala Yousafzai for today’s conversation, for championing this cause, and for inspiring generations.”
Malala Yousafzai came to global attention in October 2012 when a masked Taliban gunman stopped her school bus in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, asked “Who is Malala?” and shot her in the head for advocating girls’ education. She survived after waking up 10 days later in a hospital in Birmingham, England, where she underwent months of surgeries and rehabilitation.
The attack followed years of activism that began when the Taliban banned girls from school. Her courage earned her Pakistan’s National Peace Award for Youth and international recognition.
After recovering in the United Kingdom Malala continued her campaign for girls’ education, delivering a landmark speech at the United Nations on her 16th birthday, now celebrated as Malala Day.
She co-founded Malala Fund with her father to advance girls’ access to schooling worldwide and became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2014. Since then, she has graduated from Oxford and remains a leading global advocate, using her platform to support girls affected by conflict, poverty and discrimination.
Written By
Adel Montanaro
Adel Montanaro is a storyteller at heart, combining a journalist’s curiosity with a deep love for music and creativity. When she’s not chasing the next great story, you’ll find her at a local gig, brainstorming fresh ideas, or surrounded by her favourite people and pets.
