Malala Yousafzai Hopes Her British Vogue Cover Helps Every Girl 'Know That She Can Change the World'
By Benjamin VanHoose
Pictures by Nick Knight
Malala Yousafzai is hoping to inspire girls everywhere with her latest magazine cover.
The 23-year-old Oxford grad appears on the cover of British Vogue's July 2021 issue where she opened up about politics, activism and her path forward. Yousafzai — whose lifelong dedication to empowering women quickly gained global attention, as she became a bestselling author and the youngest person to win a Nobel Peace Prize — also told the magazine she worries about achieving her goals.
"I care a lot about my work and I worry about how long it would take to reach the goals we have set. People say, 'Malala, don't worry, it's not your responsibility, leaders should worry!' But if I have the capacity to do something to keep raising awareness, then I should," she said.
Born in Mingora, Pakistan, in 1997, Yousafzai had her heart set on becoming a doctor, but things quickly changed in 2008 when the Taliban commanded power and shared different perspectives on girls attending school.
Yousafzai began to publicly advocate for girls' education, but was eventually barred from school for her radical views. After spending years championing girls' education in her native Pakistan, she quickly gained international attention — but on Oct. 9, 2012, Taliban gunmen opened fire on her school bus, striking Yousafzai in the head. She was airlifted from Pakistan to a hospital in Birmingham, England, where she made a miraculous recovery. In June 2020, Yousafzai completed her studies at Oxford University, graduating with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics.
Reflecting on her time at Oxford, Yousafzai told British Vogue about how she made the most of her college experience and enjoyed the many opportunities that came with it.
"I was excited about literally anything. Going to McDonald's or playing poker with my friends or going to a talk or an event. I was enjoying each and every moment because I had not seen that much before," she explained. "I had never really been in the company of people my own age because I was recovering from the incident, and traveling around the world, publishing a book and doing a documentary, and so many things were happening. At university I finally got some time for myself."
Yousafzai also addressed the current state of activism among young people, saying she hopes movements trend away from social media displays. "Right now we have associated activism with tweets. That needs to change because Twitter is a completely different world," she said.
On Instagram, Yousafzai reflected on her magazine cover, writing that she hopes it inspires girls around the world.
"Thrilled and humbled to be on the cover of @britishvogue!" she wrote. "I know the power that a young girl carries in her heart when she has a vision and a mission — and I hope that every girl who sees this cover will know that she can change the world." – Courtesy People
Images staff adds: Activist, author, tireless campaigner for girls’ education, student and survivor — that's what *British Vogue* described Malala Yousafzai as when she posed for the cover of its July issue.
Malala is the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner in history but that's not her only accomplishment, she has published a moving memoir, spent her 16th birthday addressing the UN, established her own namesake fund and is an activist who campaigns for safe education for girls across the world. She announced the exciting news on social media.
"I know the power that a young girl carries in her heart when she has a vision and a mission — and I hope that every girl who sees this cover will know that she can change the world," Yousufzai posted on Twitter.
Shot beautifully by photographer Nick Knight, Malala's cover story was written by journalist Sirin Kale. According to Vogue, the video interview will be available to watch on their online platforms from Thursday.
This isn't the Nobel laureate's first stint in the international media.
She has appeared on David Letterman's Netflix special, had her documentary shortlisted for the Oscars, starred as a guest on the Friends reunion, ventured into production with Apple Inc, made it to Bazaar's 150 visionary women list, and received an inspiring spot in Google's #OneDayIWill video that celebrated strong women.
Yet, despite the fact that the modest, young activist has championed women's rights and escaped her home after an attempted assassination, there is still a faction of people in Pakistan who bombard her with hate every time she achieves something.
Everything Malala accomplishes has somehow been attributed to her status as a "Western puppet" rather than an accomplished young woman who is making us proud internationally. It seems to be difficult for people to see her courage to fight for what she believes in and accept the Western accolades and acknowledgement she receives for it.
As her British Vogue announcement went viral, many flocked to Twitter to air their unwarranted (and unwanted) opinions about it and be dismissive of her accomplishments.
People were salty that she flew away to England... for recovery and an education?
Or that she received acknowledgement more than someone else.
But many of Pakistan's public figures, such as Ayesha Omar, Mahira Khan, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Ali Sethi and Meesha Shafi, praised her for her accomplishment.
There were also others who gave her credit for her achievement and looked up to her as a symbol of hope.
Others appreciated how gracefully she carried herself, articulating perfectly her thoughts on carrying the dupatta as a symbolic representation for empowered Pashtun women.
The headscarf, she explained in the interview, is about more than her Muslim faith. “It’s a cultural symbol for us Pashtuns, so it represents where I come from. And Muslim girls or Pashtun girls or Pakistani girls, when we follow our traditional dress, we’re considered to be oppressed, or voiceless, or living under patriarchy. I want to tell everyone that you can have your own voice within your culture, and you can have equality in your culture.”
The amount of abuse Malala faces from local accounts on social media is directly proportional to the love she receives abroad. She has always been praised for her bravery and international celebrities have been vocal in their support. Shahrukh Khan saying it would be a privilege to meet her, Twinkle Khanna inviting her to the Tweak India Summit for encouragement and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle inviting her to celebrate International Day of the Girl are proof of that.
Amid all the hate she has been getting for her amazing achievements, we would like to leave you with something she said in an interview with David Letterman: “I would hope that many people would have stood up and stood up against extremists, against not just the extremists, not just the people, but against the ideology."
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