International Affairs Forum Notes
Malala’s dad was a teacher in Pakistan and established a school.
He fights for girls education and equality.
He wrote a book.
She believes girls should be able to lead and change the world.
Sue is the founder of the Malala fund.
Zia grew up in Pakistan with 5 sisters.
He had better stuff than his sisters because they were discriminated especially with education.
His parents had lots of dreams for him but just wanted their daughters to get married.
In 1994 he started his school with 3 students, lots of financial problems, but he still found it exciting.
1100 students in 2012 500 girls 600 boys.
They announced no girl is allowed to go to school in 2009 and the parents and principal will be responsible. (Taliban)
His nephew used to discriminate against Malala but now he is a founder of a girls school.
Malala got a name because there was a girl named Malala who stood on a hill telling the fighters to come back and taunting them and she died but she had a voice and he admires that.
He has been proud of his daughter since she was born and he appreciates the small things she does just as much as the big things.
“Men and boys need gender inequality and gender inequality needs men and boys.”
Men being superior is harmful to girls and boys.
The Taliban bombed and burned over 400 schools in Pakistan.
Malala won the Nobel Peace Prize at 17, youngest person ever.
When she was a student, she was still campaigning for girls education.
Malala was shot at 15.
The Malala Fund was founded in 2013. 10 countries are now with the Malala Fund.
Sue was born in Sri Lanka.
Her dad was feminist.
She is trying to make the UN make a law that silencing girls is a crime.
If you are married or pregnant you can’t go to school in some countries in Africa.
Policy advocacy is the main Malala fund thing right now.
Fundamental right of education and secure access to education and safe schools is the Malala Fund’s other goals.
Summary
In 1994, Ziauddin Yousafzai, Malala Yousafzai’s father, established a school in Pakistan where he grew up, motivated by his own childhood experience of witnessing gender discrimination against his five sisters because they were females. He and his daughter became fierce activists for girls' education and gender equality, campaigning even while the Taliban bombed and burned hundreds of schools and banned girls from attending schools in 2009. Malala was shot at the age of 15 for her activism by the Taliban, but she survived and became the youngest person ever to win a Nobel Peace Prize, at the age of 17. With co-founder Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn, they developed the Malala Fund to advocate for education as a fundamental human right. The Malala Fund now operates in more than ten countries with a goal on policy advocacy for safe schools and education and to fight against discrimination, such as countries preventing married or pregnant girls from accessing education. I think these 3 people are all very inspiring for their actions because they were brave and faced challenges to fight for other people which is a very selfless act. The event was very interesting and had me intrigued to learn more.