Career Timeline of Malala Yousafzai: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Malala Yousafzai made an impact.

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist advocating for female education, notably in the Swat Valley where the Taliban restricted girls' schooling. Surviving an assassination attempt for her activism, she became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2014. Her advocacy has evolved into a global movement, solidifying her status as a prominent figure in human rights and education, especially for women and children, and has been described as Pakistan's most prominent citizen.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Legacy & Impact

September 2008: Speaking about education rights

In September 2008, Malala Yousafzai began speaking about education rights, giving a speech in Peshawar where she questioned why the Taliban was taking away her basic right to education.

2008: BBC Urdu blog proposal

In late 2008, the BBC Urdu website proposed a novel way of covering the Pakistani Taliban's growing influence in Swat by asking a schoolgirl to blog anonymously about her life there.

January 2009: First BBC Urdu blog entry

On January 3, 2009, Malala Yousafzai's first entry was posted to the BBC Urdu blog, detailing her thoughts during the First Battle of Swat and the closure of her school.

March 2009: Last entry in blog

On March 9, 2009, Malala Yousafzai wrote about a science paper. Her blog ended on March 12, 2009.

July 2009: Return to Swat Valley

In July 2009, Malala Yousafzai's family returned to the Swat Valley after the Pakistani military pushed the Taliban out of the cities. She also met with Richard Holbrooke, pleading for help with education.

August 2009: Appearance on Capital Talk

On August 19, 2009, Malala Yousafzai made a second appearance on Capital Talk and she was interviewed on the national Pashto-language station AVT Khyber and the Urdu-language Daily Aaj.

December 2009: BBC blogging identity revealed

In December 2009, Malala Yousafzai's BBC blogging identity was being revealed in articles. She also began appearing on television to advocate for female education.

2009: Peer educator in Open Minds Pakistan youth programme

In 2009, Malala Yousafzai began as a trainee and was then a peer educator in the Institute for War and Peace Reporting's Open Minds Pakistan youth programme.

2009: Writing for BBC Urdu

In early 2009, at the age of 11, Malala Yousafzai began writing a blog under the pseudonym Gul Makai for the BBC Urdu detailing her life during the Taliban's occupation of Swat.

December 2011: Awarded National Youth Peace Prize

In December 2011, Malala Yousafzai was awarded Pakistan's first National Youth Peace Prize by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani. During the ceremony, she expressed her hope to found a national party to promote education.

2011: National Youth Peace Prize

In 2011, Malala Yousafzai received Pakistan's first National Youth Peace Prize for her activism and advocacy for education.

2011: Training with Aware Girls

In 2011, Malala Yousafzai trained with Aware Girls, run by Gulalai Ismail, to learn about women's rights and empowerment to peacefully oppose radicalisation through education.

October 2012: Gordon Brown Launches Petition 'I am Malala'

On October 15, 2012, UN Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown, visited Yousafzai in the hospital and launched a petition in her name, using the slogan "I am Malala", advocating for universal education by 2015.

2012: Planning Malala Education Foundation

In 2012, Malala Yousafzai planned to organize the Malala Education Foundation. She attended the International Marxist Tendency National Marxist Summer School and named Barack Obama, Benazir Bhutto and Abdul Ghaffar Khan as inspirations.

July 2013: Yousafzai Addresses United Nations

In July 2013, Yousafzai addressed the United Nations and had an audience with Queen Elizabeth II in Buckingham Palace, amplifying her message on the global stage.

July 2013: Brown Arranges Yousafzai's UN Appearance

In July 2013, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown arranged for Yousafzai's appearance before the United Nations. Brown also requested that McKinsey consultant Shiza Shahid chair Yousafzai's charity fund.

July 2013: Yousafzai's 16th Birthday Speech at UN

On July 12, 2013, Yousafzai's 16th birthday, she spoke at the UN calling for worldwide access to education, in what was dubbed "Malala Day" by the UN. She led the first Youth Takeover of the UN, addressing over 500 young education advocates.

October 2013: Publication of "I Am Malala"

In October 2013, Malala Yousafzai's memoir, "I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban", co-written with Christina Lamb, was published and received various reviews.

October 2013: Yousafzai on The Daily Show

In October 2013, at the age of 16, Malala Yousafzai visited The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to promote her book, I Am Malala, discussing her assassination attempt, human rights, and women's education.

2013: Co-founding Malala Fund and Co-Authoring "I Am Malala"

In 2013, Malala Yousafzai co-founded the Malala Fund and co-authored "I Am Malala", which became an international bestseller. She also received the Sakharov Prize in 2013.

July 2014: Yousafzai Speaks at Girl Summit in London

In July 2014, Yousafzai spoke at the Girl Summit in London, continuing her advocacy for girls' education and empowerment on an international platform.

October 2014: Yousafzai Donates to UNRWA

In October 2014, Yousafzai donated $50,000 to the UNRWA for the reconstruction of schools in the Gaza Strip, showing her commitment to supporting education in conflict zones.

2014: Yousafzai's Political Aspirations

In 2014, Yousafzai stated she wished to return to Pakistan and consider running for prime minister, inspired by Benazir Bhutto.

2014: Children's edition of memoir published

In 2014, a children's edition of Malala Yousafzai's memoir was published under the title "I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World".

June 2015: Malala Fund on Rohingya Persecution

In June 2015, the Malala Fund released a statement in which Yousafzai advocated for the Rohingya people's citizenship and equal rights, urging an end to their persecution in Myanmar.

July 2015: Yousafzai Opens School for Syrian Refugees

On July 12, 2015, her 18th birthday, Yousafzai opened a school in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, near the Syrian border, for Syrian refugees, funded by the Malala Fund.

2015: Yousafzai Guest on The Daily Show After Charleston Shooting

After the 2015 Charleston Church Shooting, Jon Stewart had Yousafzai as a guest on The Daily Show, forgoing jokes and expressing his admiration for her resilience and determination in the face of extremism.

2015: Yousafzai Considers Running for Prime Minister

In 2015, Yousafzai repeated her aim to potentially join the government or become prime minister to help her country.

2015: Release of "He Named Me Malala" documentary

In 2015, the documentary "He Named Me Malala", about Malala Yousafzai, was released and shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

2015: Petition Goal Year for "I am Malala"

The petition 'I am Malala' hoped that by 2015, no child would be left out of school and girls like Malala everywhere would soon be going to school.

December 2016: Oxford Interview

In December 2016, Yousafzai had an interview at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, as part of her application to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE).

2016: Yousafzai Reiterates Political Ambitions

In 2016, Yousafzai reiterated her desire to return to Pakistan and potentially pursue a career in politics, including running for prime minister.

August 2017: Yousafzai Accepted to Oxford

In August 2017, Yousafzai was accepted to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at Oxford University, fulfilling her academic aspirations after receiving a conditional offer.

September 2017: Yousafzai Condemns Rohingya Treatment

In September 2017, speaking in Oxford, Yousafzai condemned the persecution of the Rohingya people in Myanmar and called for Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to speak out against their treatment.

October 2017: Publication of "Malala's Magic Pencil"

On 17 October 2017, Malala Yousafzai's picture book, "Malala's Magic Pencil", illustrated by Kerascoët, was published.

2017: Book sales

According to Publishers Weekly, in 2017, Malala Yousafzai's book, I am Malala had sold almost 2 million copies, and there were 750,000 copies of the children's edition in print.

2017: Words Used in Song

In 2017, words from Yousafzai's speech were used as lyrics for "Speak Out", a song by Kate Whitley commissioned by BBC Radio 3 and broadcast on International Women's Day.

March 2018: Announcement of "We Are Displaced"

In March 2018, it was announced that Malala Yousafzai's next book, "We Are Displaced: True Stories of Refugee Lives", would be published on 4 September 2018.

March 2018: Reported sales of "Malala's Magic Pencil"

In March 2018, it was reported that Malala Yousafzai's book, "Malala's Magic Pencil", had over 5,000 sales in the UK.

September 2018: Publication of "We Are Displaced" announced

Malala Yousafzai's next book We Are Displaced: True Stories of Refugee Lives, which was announced to be published in March 2018, was scheduled to be published on 4 September 2018.

January 2019: Publication of "We Are Displaced"

Malala Yousafzai's book We Are Displaced was published on January 8, 2019.

June 2020: Yousafzai Completes Degree at Oxford

On June 19, 2020, Yousafzai announced her graduation with honors, having completed her PPE degree at Oxford University after passing her final examinations.

2020: Graduation from Oxford

In 2020, Malala Yousafzai graduated from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE).

2020: Release of "Gul Makai" film

In 2020, the Indian Hindi-language biographical film "Gul Makai" by H. E. Amjad Khan, portraying Malala Yousafzai, was released.

March 2021: Partnership with Apple

On 8 March 2021, a multiyear partnership between Malala Yousafzai and Apple was announced. She will work on programming for Apple's streaming service, Apple TV+.

July 2021: Urged ceasefire in Afghanistan

In July 2021, amid a Taliban offensive, Malala Yousafzai urged the international community to press for a ceasefire in Afghanistan and provide humanitarian aid.

August 2021: Expressed concern over women's rights in Afghanistan

In August 2021, following the Taliban takeover of Kabul, Malala Yousafzai expressed concerns about the fate of women's rights in Afghanistan.

March 2022: Advocated for women's right to choose

On 7 March 2022, Malala Yousafzai advocated for every woman's right to choose what to wear, from a burqa to a bikini, emphasizing individual freedom and autonomy.

May 2024: Acting role in "We Are Lady Parts"

In May 2024, Malala Yousafzai made her acting debut in an episode titled and inspired by her, "Malala made me do it", in the second season of the Channel 4 British sitcom "We Are Lady Parts".