Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek writes exclusively for Mamamia on Malala Yousafzai.
Many of us came to know Malala Yousafzai in tragic circumstances.
Malala was targeted by the Taliban from the age of just 11, after she first spoke publicly in support of education for girls.
In Pakistan, on October 9, 2012, Malala was shot in the head travelling home from school. She was 15 years old.
Thankfully, she survived.
Despite this horrific experience, and despite continuing to get death threats from the Taliban, Malala continued to speak out and campaign for girls’ education.
In 2014, she became the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her incredible work. Malala’s extraordinary courage and achievements are now the subject of a feature film, titled He Named Me Malala.
Last night, with the generous support of Hoyts, I hosted a community screening of the film in Sydney.
Given the terrible challenges Malala has faced in her young life, the film could have been very sad. And it was, in parts. But more overwhelmingly, it was uplifting. A woman, wise beyond her years, risking life for the benefit of girls everywhere. You got a sense of the close bond between Malala and her father, the man who founded the school she was attending in Pakistan.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. My 10 year old son loved the film.
The film showed Malala’s commitment to and passion for education, and her steadfast defence of her right – and the right of every child – to education began long before that.
Watch the trailer for He Named Me Malala here. Post continues below.