On her 26th birthday… Nobel laureate and UN Messenger of Peace Malala Yousafzai said in Abuja, Nigeria, that more than 120 million girls are out of school, and the world must do more to ensure they can get an education.
The Pakistani education advocate – who was shot by the Taliban for her activism – spoke ten years after her landmark ‘Malala Day’ address to youth at UN Headquarters in New York, where she called for global action against illiteracy, poverty, and terrorism.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed introduced Malala, saying she has transcended borders, cultures, and generations while her message and passion have touched people everywhere.
“Malala keeps daring us to imagine: to imagine a world with less intolerance, more understanding and respect. A world of less hate and more humanity. A world of less bigotry and more equality. A world of less ignorance and more education and knowledge,” she said.
She added that both the UN and Malala know that quality education for both girls and boys “is not a dream, but it’s a fundamental human right.”
