Malala Yousafzai, born on 12 July 1997 in Mingora, Pakistan, is an internationally recognized Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Her advocacy for the rights of women and children, particularly in the realm of education, has inspired a global movement. The daughter of education activist Ziauddin Yousafzai, she emerged as a voice of defiance against the oppression of the Taliban in her native Swat Valley, using her experiences and platform to champion the cause of education for girls worldwide.

At the age of 11, Yousafzai began blogging for the BBC under the pseudonym Gul Makai, detailing life under Taliban occupation in Swat. Her outspoken stance quickly gained international attention, culminating in a Taliban assassination attempt in 2012. Surviving a gunshot to the head, she recovered and intensified her campaign, co-founding the Malala Fund to advocate for girls' education globally. She has since become a symbol of resistance against oppression and a champion for education equity. Yousafzai's academic journey continued in the UK, where she completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, in 2020.

Yousafzai's accolades are numerous, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, making her the youngest recipient in history. She has also been named one of the most influential people globally by Time magazine and has received honorary Canadian citizenship. Her life and work have been the subject of the documentary He Named Me Malala and she continues to inspire millions through her advocacy and writing, including her best-selling memoir I Am Malala.