By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Managing Editor, Impunity Watch

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded today to Pakistan’s Malala Yousafzai, a fierce advocate for girl’s education in Pakistan and around the world. At 17 years old Malala Yousafzai is the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and Pakistan’s first Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Malala first came to attention in 2009 when she wrote an anonymous blog for BBC Urdu about life under Taliban rule in north-west Pakistan. Two years ago she was shot by Taliban gunmen for her advocacy while she was boarding her school bus in the Swat Valley.After recovering from life-saving surgery, she has taken her campaign for the right to education for all peoples, regardless of gender, to the international stage, giving a speech last year at the United Nations. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif congratulated Malala Yousafzai, calling her the Pride of Pakistan. “Her achievement is unparalleled and unequalled. Girls and boys of the world should take the lead from her struggle and commitment,” he said in a statement.

Young students in Malala’s home region were thrilled with Friday’s announcement “There are not many people in this world — in fact, no one — who is as brave as Malala,” said Badrai Khan, 19, a college student from Swat, Malala’s home region. “This award is an achievement for all girl students of Pakistan.” Khan said”Tomorrow, when I go to school, I’ll be a different, more confident girl, thanks to Malala and this recognition.”

Malala Yousafzai learned that she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while she was in chemistry class in England on Friday morning, she said. She wasn’t expecting to get the award. “I’m proud that I’m the first Pakistani and the first young woman or the first young person getting this award.” Malala has stated that she is happy to have been given the opportunity to go to school, thanking her father for not clipping her wings and allowing her to have the same opportunities as boys in her community.

The Nobel Peace Prize was also awarded to India’s Kailash Satyarthi. Both Nobel Laureates were cited by the Norwegian Nobel Committee “for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.” According to the Nobel Committee, Satyarthi has been known to participate in peaceful protests and demonstrations calling for an end to child exploitation. At the age of 26 he gave up a career in electrical engineering to devote his life to advocating for children, even raiding factories where child workers were held captive. In 1994 Satyarthi started a program called “Rugmark,” now known as GoodWeave International, in which rugs are certified and labeled to be child-labor free. Satyarthi started the program because of the high level of child exportation in the rug industry, children have been historically expatiated in several countries around the world where rugs are woven.

In 2004 Satyarthi said his home and office have been attacked, but he said the danger is worth it. “If I was not fighting against child labor, I don’t know what else I could do. It was always in my heart, I could not live without that,” he said at the time. “It’s really a kind of spiritual feeling which is difficult to explain,” Satyarthi said. “And the smiles come on the face of the children when they realize that they are free.”

The chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee commented on the theme of child rights that is the focus of the work of this year’s Nobel laureates, both from historically divided region. He explained that “children must go to school, not be financially exploited.”

For more information please see:

ABC News – 5 Things to Know About Nobel Prize Winner Kailash Satyarthi – 10 October 2014
BBC News – Malala and Kailash Satyarthi Win Nobel Peace Prize – 10 October 2014
CNN International – Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi Share Nobel Peace Prize – 10 October 2014
USA Today – Malala’s Nobel Is ‘For All Girl Students Of Pakistan’ – 10 October 2010