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By CNBCTV18.com Jul 12, 2022 6:14:24 AM IST (Published)
On October 9, 2012, while Malala was returning home from school, she was attacked by a Taliban gunman who shot her in the head and the neck.
The United Nations declared July 12 as Malala Day to honour Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, who became the international symbol of the fight for girls’ education.
Who is Malala Yousafzai?
Malala Yousafzai was born to Ziauddin Yousafzai and Toor Pekai Yousafzai on July 12, 1997, in Mingora, Pakistan, which falls in the SWAT District of Pakistan's North-Western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Her father was a passionate social activist and a teacher. He established his own school. However, when the extremists Taliban took control of the town, girls were banned from education. In 2009, Malala started writing a blog for the BBC under a pseudonym, talking about the increasing military activity in her hometown. Even after her identity was revealed, Malala and her father continued to speak out publicly about the right to education.
On October 9, 2012, while Malala was returning home from school, she was attacked by a Taliban gunman who shot her in the head and the neck. She received initial treatment in Pakistan, but was later sent to England for further recovery.