Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate from Pakistan, celebrated her 26th birthday in a meaningful way yesterday.
Through her Twitter account, the renowned activist shared a photo with “her” girls in Nigeria, where she spent her special day raising awareness about their right to education. On the same day, she also delivered a powerful address to the United Nations.
“Today, I am in Nigeria celebrating my birthday with girls, a tradition I started a decade ago,” she wrote. During her UN speech in Nigeria, Malala shared inspiring stories of young women she has met over the years, who have not only earned university degrees but also ventured into the workforce.
“We should celebrate the achievements of girls who pursue higher education, secure employment, and exercise their choice in matters like marriage. However, we must not delude ourselves into thinking that we have made sufficient progress,” she emphasized. “While I applaud those who have overcome challenges to succeed, my heart aches for those whom we have failed. Every young woman, like me, has friends we witnessed being left behind – those who were hindered by their governments, communities, and families.”
Today I’m in Nigeria celebrating my birthday with girls, a tradition I started 10 years ago. ???? @MalalaFund pic.twitter.com/XaLZSyFFZ8
— Malala Yousafzai (@Malala) July 12, 2023
Malala’s husband and family also took to social media to express their birthday wishes. Sharing a photo with his beloved partner, Asser Malik wrote, “Happy Birthday Malala. You are already well aware of your amazingness. Nevertheless, I consider myself fortunate to have the best partner imaginable.”
Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, also extended warm birthday greetings. Alongside pictures of the 26-year-old with himself and her mother, Ziauddin shared, “Happy birthday Jaani Mun! We love you so much.”
Happy Birthday Malala. You don’t need any reminders of how amazing you are.
But for what it’s worth you are the best partner I could have ever hoped for. ♥️ pic.twitter.com/UreAmGlaI1
— Asser Malik (@MalikAsser) July 12, 2023
Happy birthday Jaani Mun, @Malala !
We love you so much.❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/OciKDNPnxr— Ziauddin Yousafzai (@ZiauddinY) July 12, 2023
Indian icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas, a staunch advocate for education, also joined in celebrating Malala’s birthday. “Happy birthday, Malala!” wrote the former Miss World as she shared a photo of their meeting. “May you always be blessed with the very best,” Priyanka added.
Former first lad, Micelle Obama took to er Instagram and posted a short clip with the caption “In honour of #MalalaDay, we asked a few members of the @GirlsOpportunityAlliance from Namibia, India, Nepal, Guatemala, and Uganda to tell us why Malala inspires them—and I just love their responses. Thank you @Malala for all that you do for girls around the world! ????”
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