US deems Malala as one of decade’s ‘most significant’ people
The US Department of State has joined the United Nations in recognising education activist and Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai as one of the “most significant people of the decade”.
“As we approach the end of 2019, we join UN in looking back on most significant people and events of the decade, including Malala, who received the 2014 Nobel Prize in recognition of her struggle against oppression of young people and for the right of all children to education,” said Alice Wells, the principal deputy assistant secretary of Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.
Earlier this week, the UN had declared Yousafzai as “the most famous teenager in the world” in its “Decade in Review”.
In part one of its review series, which takes into account events that happened between 2010 and the end of 2013, the UN had also highlighted the devastating Haiti earthquake in 2010, the beginning of the ongoing Syrian conflict for 2011 and Yousafzai’s work in favour of girls’ education for the year 2012, as important events.
The 22-year-old was also recently chosen by Teen Vogue as its cover person for its last issue of the decade.
The magazine announced it had decided to “reflect” the last 10 years with the education activist.
“The last ten years have been rooted in the brilliant, worldchanging demands of teens across the world.
“As Teen Vogue reflected on this, we knew there was one perfect person to sit down and reflect on this wild decade with: Malala Yousafzai,” the US publication said.
In October 2012, Yousafzai – then aged 15 – was shot in the head at point-blank range by Taliban gunmen as she was returning from her school in Swat valley.
She suffered bullet injuries and was admitted to the military hospital Peshawar but was later flown to London for further treatment.
The shooting drew widespread international condemnation.
Since then, she has become an internationally recognised symbol of resistance to the Taliban’s efforts of denying women education and other rights.