Teenage Education Activist Malala Yousafzai has won the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
Parliament President Martin Schulz called the 16-year-old a “brave advocate for education” who “reminds us of our duty toward children and especially girls.”
The prize is worth about $67,000.
Edward Snowden had been nominated by the Green group in the European parliament for what it said was his “enormous service” to human rights and European citizens when he disclosed secret United States surveillance programmes.
Yousafzai was chosen as the winner after a vote among the heads of all the political groups in the 750-member parliament.
The Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought is given by the European Parliament each year since 1988 to commemorate Soviet scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov.
Its past winners include Nelson Mandela and Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi.
Malala’s activism started after the Taliban banned girls from schools in Pakistan’s Swat Valley in 2009. She anonymously blogged for the BBC in opposition to that order, and became an open advocate for girls’ education.
In 2011, Malala told CNN, “I have the right of education. I have the right to play. I have the right to sing. I have the right to talk.”
A year later, she was riding the bus home from school when a Taliban gunman climbed aboard and shot her in the head. She nearly died.
Since then, Malala has recovered and continued advocating for girls’ education, despite ongoing death threats from the Taliban.
She’s also a favorite to win this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Read here the Quotes of Malala, and watch here inspiring speech of Malala at U.N.
Watch below the inspiring interview of Malala for “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewar.
