Today has been officially named Malala Day by the United Nations.  This day is named after Malala Yousafzai, a 15 year old Pakistani teenager living in the Swat district in Pakistan.  If you haven't heard of her she is currently in the hospital in the United Kingdom recovering from multiple gun shot wounds she suffered from being deliberately being targeted by none other than the Taliban.  For years she has been advocating education for not only herself but for other girls living in this country.  The Taliban has at times tried keeping females out of the schools and issuing threats so that they are too afraid to attend.  She has done many documentaries, blogs, interviews about the Taliban's rule and her role in pushing education on girls.  
     On October 9th of this year Malala was riding on a bus with her friends going home when they were forced to stop.  Six Taliban members made the girls point out who was Malala, and in the midst of the shots three girls were injured and Malala was shot in the neck and the head.  Miraculously she is alive, finally responding, and on the road to recovery.  The Taliban put out this assassination on this little girl for her beliefs that women should have an education too.  This teenage girl is a role model for all young women everywhere.  She is so brave to speak her mind and voice her opinions no matter what the consequences.  

     She has a long road ahead of her and is communicating through messages because she is not able to speak, due to a tube that is keeping her airways open.  She still has surgeries to endure and also a piece of her skull needs to be fixed or replaced by a titanium plate.  Even through all of this they say that she is in good spirits.  
     We really have things good here in America.  Going to school and working as a woman is nothing to me.  Hearing and watching stories like this is an ultimate wake up call.  I can no longer complain about long classes and homework without wondering what it must be like for someone like her that has to fear for her life just to try and attend school.    
     What an inspiration she is.  This is the type of person we all wish we could be but don't have the strength or courage to actually be.  This is a girl that is deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize (which there is a petition that is asking for her to be nominated).  She is a change for the future, the progression of a dated nation, the face and voice for gender equality.  I pray she gets well and when she returns to her homeland that she is no longer targeted by the Taliban and continues her work to inspire and change the way things are in Pakistan.
     As of yesterday there have been a million people across that world that have signed a petition in Malala's name supporting her and her promotion of getting girls into school.
Below is a website about her and the other is a foundation in her name:
      http://educationenvoy.org/
http://vitalvoices.org/global-initiatives/support-malala-fund 
Let's all look at this and realize how much freedom and the voice we have in our political system and how far progressed we are.