Malala grew up in Mingora, a city in Pakistan where her dad operated a public school for girls and boys. From a young age, the importance of education was taught to her. She enjoyed going to school and was devastated when the Taliban went after education, leading to her advocacy for education.

On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.

She continued to live her life in Birmingham England after she was brought there for her treatment, after being shot. She continued her studies and her father got a job in education there. She likely won't be able to return to Pakistan because she is still wanted for speaking out as a teen.

She also became the youngest person ever to win the Nobel peace price at the age of 17.

Malala started speaking out against the restrictions on girls'education in Pakistan. She went to conferences with her father, who also was an advocate of education, and she started writing an anonymous journal about her experiences in Pakistan which was published by news outlets.

In 2020, Malala graduated from Oxford University. As of now she continues her work fighting for the right to education of young women. She has also started the Malala fund which is a charity that fights for education of women.