Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani woman whose fearless activism for girls’ education spurred the Taliban to attempt her assassination in 2012 and earned her a Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, is celebrating a huge win – her very first day at the University of Oxford.
Yousafzai, 20, took to Twitter to post a shot of her new textbooks. It’s a hugely triumphant moment for someone who has been fighting for women’s education rights for so damn long.
5 years ago, I was shot in an attempt to stop me from speaking out for girls’ education. Today, I attend my first lectures at Oxford. pic.twitter.com/sXGnpU1KWQ
— Malala Yousafzai (@Malala) October 9, 2017
Speaking to Rookie about her studies, Yousafzai detailed what subjects she will be taking at the prestigious UK university.
I’m going to do PPE, which is philosophy, politics, and economics, and it’s a three-year course. I like all three subjects but I am really interested in philosophy, and I want to look back at history and how these influential people thought about the world, about God, about how we should live life, about ethics.
At age 15, Yousafzai was shot by Taliban gunmen on her way to school after years of vocal activism about women’s education. She recovered from the horrific attack at a hospital in Birmingham, and went on to complete high school in the UK.
She’s currently unable to return to Pakistan because of Taliban threats against her, but credits her family and supporters for helping her to live a relatively normal life in Britain, telling Rookie:
My parents stand with me and support me, and I’m just like a normal child to them. And then I have two brothers, who are a bit cheeky as well, and they annoy me, they don’t care about me most of the time, and that’s what normal brothers are, so I’m grateful to have them sometimes. And also, to have just normal friends, and then to receive support from people all over the world – receiving letters and cards from people and [knowing] that they stand with me – that gives me hope.
Speaking of her “annoying” little brothers, one of them tweeted her on her first day of Uni and it’s basically the cutest thing ever.
It’s been a journey with ups and downs but you stayed strong. I am proud of you and I will miss you a lot. Good Luck with oxford💪🏽. pic.twitter.com/RPxXLaBaok
— Khushal Yousafzai (@KhushalYusafzai) October 7, 2017
She then passed on some wisdom to her younger sib.
Younger brother advice:
Advice accepted BUT… Tell @atalkyousafzai to behave as well and please help me with my maths homework😭.
— Khushal Yousafzai (@KhushalYusafzai) October 7, 2017
What a fam.
