Embracing Feminism through Female

Activists

The roots of Feminism has long shaped and played a pivotal role in history around the

world. Feminism has helped characterize many women and women’s suffrage in ways
Embracing Feminism through Female Activists

unimaginable. One would say it began in the ancient greece starting with Sappho (570 BCE) or

Hildegard of Bingen (death 1179). Well-known founders of feminism are revered throughout

history for their accomplishments and struggles such as Jane Austen to Sojourner Truth. Through

a series of waves of fighting for women’s rights, one thing that is for certain is how each

generation managed and successfully defeated the patriarchal system by making strong efforts

towards improving women’s equality, developing a system of political strategies, and by creating

a movement, known as the women’s equality movement. This movement was strengthened by

social and political change and through women always seeking to go against the social norm and

the patriarchal system known to limit women in all urban industrialism and in society. Even now,

women continue to join this movement of ideologies and become activists for all women around

the world. One woman that decided to join the cause was Malala Yousafzai. Malala’s

participation in the education for women and children and within women’s equality, gained

global attention and became a symbol for feminist activism.

Who is Malala Yousafzai?

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani-born citizen who advocated for women and children as

a women’s rights activist and children’s activist. At such a young age, Yousafzai was an

advocate and an activist for those around her in her country and unknowingly impacted the entire

world, through her dedication. When she was eleven years old, Malala was a blogger for BBC

News online and began writing about her experiences in Pakistan under the control of the

Taliban. The Taliban sought to shut down all girl schools in Pakistan but that did not stop or

deter her from continuing to be a part of the resistance. On October 9, 2012, when riding the bus

with her friend after going to school, a gunman boarded the bus and asked them to point out who

was Malala. After glancing at Malala, her position was given away, causing the gunman to
Embracing Feminism through Female Activists

ultimately shoot her in the head. She slipped into a coma due to the injuries she faced to her brain

and was flown to a military hospital in Peshawar. She then had to be sent to a medical facility in

Birmingham, England to further treat her injuries. Fortunately, Malala slipped out of the induced

coma she was in, all while not suffering any brain damage. Due to this, she saw this as a blessing

and more of a reason to promote women’s and children’s advocacy. This was only the beginning

for Malala’s accomplishments.

Creating a change in society

The Nobel Peace Prize winner, had always had a passion for social change and standing

up for women. Her father often encourage Malala to do public speaking throughout Pakistan and

due to her recognition and publicity throughout Pakistan, is what led to her almost being

murdered. When Malala was 11 years old, she often had events at the local press clubs and often

addressed the Taliban as well as questioned their position there in hometown.

When the Taliban infiltrated her school, she remembered her classmates were all terrified

to go back due to their control. Yousafzai’s school ultimately had to shut down because of the

Taliban, and when it later reopened, she continued writing different articles for a BBC News

blog online. Malala continued to receive local fame and exposure for her plea to the public. Her

writing found its way all the way to the Prime Minister of Pakistan and this was the beginning of

her shooting from the Taliban. Her issues with the Taliban sparked more support from people

around the world at which she found the world rallying behind her.

After still receiving death threats from the Taliban, Malala and her family were forced to

leave Pakistan and moved to Birmingham, UK. There, Malala received the education that she

yearned for. She graduated from high school there and continued her work in advocacy. She

stopped fearing what people had to say about her and her beliefs. For example, Malala Yousafzai
Embracing Feminism through Female Activists

had a particular view on what feminism truly meant. According to CNBC, Yousafzai felt

feminism actually had different meanings. She saw it as another word for equality. However,

years ago in an interview with Emma Watson she described feminism being a “controversial and

meaning superiority rather than equality.” She faced criticism due to her confusion of the

definition. Malala claims Emma Watson played a role in how she later viewed it. Malala listened

to a speech by Watson, causing her to look deeper into it. According to CNBC, Malala stated I

just looked more into it and I realized that feminism is just another word for equality — it means

equality and no one would object equality, no one should object equality and it just means that

women should have equal rights as men."

Malala decided to embrace feminism. She knew she was already a feminist that had

already advocated for women and having education for women but she knew she wanted to do

more. When she listened to more and more people talk about what feminism was to them, she

began to truly embrace it and understand it for what it meant.

Malala Yousafzai started volunteering and involving herself in more projects around the

world as well as speaking at global panels that participated in promoting women’s rights and

equality movement for children. She was a part of #MeToo movement and the Time’s Up

movements that asked women and young girls to speak about what they were facing from men

and to speak out against sexual discrimination and even racial discrimination. She sought to

bring these secretive and sexual offenses to light. These movements were helping women to truly

understand the cause and get them to understand that their voice is important and needs to be

heard- despite being afraid. Violence nor discrimination is not okay and Malala repeatedly

brought this to light.

Embracing Feminism through Female Activists

Malala founded the continued to set an example for the world by creating the Malala

Fund. This fund has been in effect for twelve years now and helped girls to lead without fear.

According to the Malala Fund’s website, they work around the world to help make in impact in

every girls world. Yousafzai’s fund is located in Pakistan, Nigeria, India, and in Syrian-

controlled countries such as Turkey and Lebanon. Her fund impacted so many around the world

that she even became a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, making her the younger laureate so far.

She lives with her family in the U.K. and still proceeds to make an impact. Her fund ultimately

helps young girls by providing them good quality education, helps them to become leaders,

ensure and keep them in school, raises the standards of the achievements of young girls in

schools around the world, and empowers them to become leaders. Gender equality is also a big

discussion in her schools, which they have even incorporated gender equality in their curriculum.

For example, in the school system in India, 39% of India’s national average for women have

successfully completed 10th grade. However, through the Malala Fund, she has been able to

succesfully help at least 90% pass the 10th grade.

Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn, is the closest book to relating

itself to Malala and her experiences. Half the Sky did a great job of telling the stories of many

women and young girls during the times of oppression and being violated. By taking us through

a sea of anger, sadness, loss, and hope, it opened our eyes to how young girls transformed their

lives and escaped the system. Education is important, but it is even more important for women

and young girls. Education for women is the true birth of feminism. It helped to shape the

feminist ideology. It helped to strengthen it and continues to get the global respect that women

want.
Embracing Feminism through Female Activists

Today, Malala wants us to not only encourage young girls about empowerment or

leadership. She also encourages us to educate men and young boys. The feminist movement is

growing and more and more people are standing up for women’s rights around the world. She

often shared criticism with the way things were going around the world, and recently discussed

her disappointment in President Trump specifically by the things that he said. According to

Euronews, she told the U.N. in January 2018, that more men need to stick up for us. Her father

was her role model and continued to get her to challenge society and its norms against women. If

he did not do this, she claims she “wouldn’t be here… Many girls wanted to do what I am doing,

but their brothers and their fathers wouldn't let them.” Hearing the remarks made by the

president and sexual harassment accusation were disappointing and stresses the importance of

women’s rights.

Through feminism, Malala Yousafzai was able to encourage and effectively help women

around the world. Her fund, Malala Fund, was just a snippet of what she has done and continues

to do for the world. Through her dedication to the women’s rights movement, Malala has been

able to help girls and fight for women around the world by continuously advocating, risking her

life, and still promoting gender equality. Malala set an example for young girls and women that

just because they are not men, does not mean that they cannot be powerful or hide behind the

shadow of men. She teaches the importance that both young men and women have on society

and how detrimental it is to break the norms that society has over women.
Embracing Feminism through Female Activists

Reference:

Gibbs, A. (2018, February 14). How Malala Yousafzai embraced feminism. Retrieved March 01,

2018, from https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/31/malala-yousafzai-on-feminism-and-raising-

awareness-about-female-rights.html
Embracing Feminism through Female Activists

Matamoros, C. A. (2018, January 25). Malala talks feminism and disappointment in Trump.

Retrieved March 01, 2018, from http://www.euronews.com/2018/01/25/malala-talks-feminism-

and-disappointment-in-trump

Fund, T. M. (n.d.). Retrieved March 01, 2018, from

https://www.malala.org/?utm_expid=.CI5QhpzpRRuqm07tWWF1iw.0&utm_referrer=

Kettler, S. (2018, February 27). Malala Yousafzai. Retrieved March 01, 2018, from

https://www.biography.com/people/malala-yousafzai-21362253

Blumberg, N. (2018, January 24). Malala Yousafzai. Retrieved March 01, 2018, from

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Malala-Yousafzai