Keyes 1

Raven Keyes

Mr. Wolfe

English 101 and 101-Lab

26 Sept.2023

Malala’s Impact on Society

Malala Yousafzai suffered a very brutal wound to the head, but she continued to further

her education and made strides in the education field. Yousafzai is a Pakistani education

advocate who, “In October 2012, on her way home from school, a masked shooter boarded her

school bus. He shot her in the left side of her head. She woke up later in the hospital” (Yousafzai

1). Yousafzai uses effective rhetoric in her piece as exemplified through her utilization of

purpose, details, and ethos by speaking up for women's rights to education, speaking from hands-

on experience on behalf of women's rights and education, and the event in which Yousafzai and

her friends got shot on the bus by the Taliban on October 9, 2012. This in return made thousands

of people speak out.

To start, Yousafzai’s piece shows the purpose of her speech is to speak up for women and

education rights worldwide. In her piece, Yousafzai explains the lack of education for women in

Pakistan and associates that with equal rights in general. For example, Yousafzai specifically

says, “Today I am focusing on women's rights and girls' education because they are suffering the

most” (2). Yousafzai likewise states, “We want schools and education for every child's bright

future” (3). As Yousafzai says in her speech: “Today is the day of every woman, every boy and

every girl who has raised their voice for their rights” (1). Yousafzai’s rhetoric highlights an

intense sense of purpose due to her experience in Pakistan. Yousafzai draws the audience’s

attention to the many children and calls for help to end this situation. The speech's purpose is to
 Keyes 2

raise the audience's awareness of the importance and necessity of education. Moreover,

Yousafzai’s rhetoric here displays the rhetorical situation of purpose within her piece.

Next, ethos builds on the credibility of the speaker. Yousafzai claims credibility to call for

education for all. She presents herself as an ordinary girl and as a representative of girls who

desire an education. Yousafzai writes, “I am just one of them. So here I stand, one girl among

many. I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard” (1). Furthermore, she

establishes a connection with her audience by referring to them as her “sisters and brothers”

(Yousafzai 1). She tells her audience that “… on 9 October 2012, the Taliban shot me on the left

side of my forehead” (Yousafzai 1). The very presence of her in the room after having been

targeted by a notorious extremist organization gives credibility to her message on the right for all

to receive an education. It also calls out global governments who stood by while Taliban terrorist

attacks kept women from needed skills. Malala explains the horrors and barriers she faced while

trying to justify the importance of women's education. She uses ethos to establish her credibility

as a speaker and strengthen the chance of her message being well-received.

Lastly, Malala Yousafzai also displays effective rhetoric in her piece through her

demonstration of details. Yousufzai’s use of details sets the tone for the piece by being serious,

but she does add her sense of hope here and there to lighten the mood. Adding hope also keeps

her audience engaged as too much of a serious topic can be daunting. Yousafzai says, “Our

words can change the entire world because we are all together, united for the cause of education.

And if we want to achieve our goal, then let us empower ourselves with the weapon of

knowledge and let us shield ourselves with unity and togetherness” (3). This in turn made

thousands of people speak up. Yousafzai claims, “The power of the voice of women frightens
 Keyes 3

them. This is why they killed 14 innocent students in the recent attack in Quetta. And that is why

they kill female teachers. That is why they are blasting schools every day because they were, and

they are afraid of the change and equality that we will bring to our society “(2). Yousafzai says,

“Young girls have to do domestic child labor and are forced to get married at an early age”

(2). This is effective rhetoric because it offers a hopeful yet serious tone for the piece. She uses

her tone and details to encourage people around the world to stand up for their rights under the

Taliban. Her powerful words and firsthand stories all aided her in reaching her audience.

A young survivor of a Taliban shooting and educational rights activist Malala Yousafzai,

speaking up for women’s rights to instruction. Speaking from hands-on experience on behalf of

women’s rights and instruction, and the event at which point Yousafzai and her companions

were ammunition by the Taliban on October 9, 2012. She believes that the audience should

believe that children worldwide should be provided education and act by asking the world

leaders to unite and make education their top priority and ensure that basic education is not

enough. Yousafzai does this to speak for every child’s right to education and those who cannot

raise their voice.

 Keyes 4

Works Cited

Yousafzai, Malala. “Speech at the United Nations.” 12 July 2013,

http://www.teachhumanrights.com/uploads/5/1/4/4/5144250/
text_of_malala_un_speech.pdf. PDF file.