Malala Yousafzai becomes youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Courtesy of the Daily Beast: 

Malala Yousafzai has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her courageous, and near fatal, campaign to secure girls’ education. At 17, she is the youngest recipient in the century that the prize has been given. 

The Pakistani campaigner, who survived an assassination attempt at the age of 15, will share the award with Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian activist who has dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of children. 

As the announcement was made Malala was in class at her school in England. She sought refuge in the U.K. after surviving a shot to the head from a Taliban gunman. She has made history today but she will remain in school until classes are out this afternoon, Eason Jordan of The Malala Fund tells The Daily Beast. 

It was Malala’s determination to get to class, despite the wish of extremists in the Swat Valley in Northwest Pakistan, that lead her to become one of the world’s most prominent education campaigners. Her refusal to cover her face and a willingness to speak out in defense of girls’ rights made her a target for the Taliban. Two years ago, a gunman boarded her school bus and fired three shots at her from close range. 

Somehow she survived, and after treatment in Britain, she has continued to campaign – now with a worldwide audience. Last year she spoke at the United Nations in New York, and continued to promote her positive message. “A Talib chose guns to solve [a] problem, we chose our voices,” she said.

Finally a positive story about a young woman making a difference in the world and being recognized for her contribution.

I think we all needed this.