Malala Yousafzai
A global advocate for girls’ education and co-founder of Malala Fund, working to ensure every girl can complete 12 years of free, safe, quality education. Her work challenges structural barriers by influencing policy, shifting norms, and supporting local initiatives, strengthening girls’ ability to shape their lives and societies.
BACKGROUND
Born in 1997 in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, Malala Yousafzai grew up in a home where her father ran a girls’ school and nurtured her love of learning. When the Taliban banned girls from attending school, she refused to stay silent, writing anonymously for BBC Urdu to tell the world about the struggle for education. At just 15, she was shot on her way home from school, yet survived. The attack only strengthened her resolve to fight for every girl’s right to learn and shape her own future.
WORK AND IMPACT
As a global advocate for girls’ education and co-founder of Malala Fund, Malala's working to ensure every girl can complete 12 years of free, safe, and quality schooling. The Fund invests in local partners, advocates for policy change, and increases education funding worldwide.
Through initiatives like the Education Champion Network and programmes in countries including Pakistan, Brazil, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, the organisation reaches millions of students and empowers local activists to address barriers such as child marriage and crisis-related school disruption. By combining local leadership with global advocacy, Malala Fund demonstrates how education strengthens girls’ agency, gender equality, and long-term societal change.
WHY MALALA IS A FINALIST
The jury nominates Malala Yousafzai as a finalist for the 2026 WIN WIN Award for her strategic and inspiring leadership, demonstrating how education can become a concrete pathway to gender equality, empowerment, and sustainable societal change.
"When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful. "
- Malala Yousafzai, The Economic Time News