I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition)

Key in this brief group of chapters is Malala’s realization that her life’s calling is to be a politician, rather than a doctor. Malala reveals an increasing sense of purpose and confidence in her identity. Although Malala does not do a deep dive into the politics of the years covered in this section, the historical timeline in the memoir’s backmatter reveals how volatile the Pakistani government was during this time. This turbulence is reflected in young Malala’s confusion over her family’s displacement and the attitude of the army. As Malala receives important accolades, her national and world reputation for activism grows.

When her family flees Swat, Malala is conscious of their loss of connection and identity. They become one of thousands of IDPs, making their Pashtun and Pakistani ancestry inconsequential. Malala feels this disconnect keenly. Similarly, at school in Shangla, Malala learns that her previous education and the liberties she is used to taking do not earn her special treatment. These humbling experiences ground Malala more deeply in her heritage, reinforce her sense of self, and make her more determined in her cause. Additionally, her brothers keep her humble when her fame increases.

Malala still has teenage worries: She fears, needlessly, that her friends may be envious of her publicity, and she wishes she were taller. Notably, however, Malala wishes she were taller not from adolescent vanity, but because she thinks height would make her more “authoritative” and assist her efforts in activism. Her cause takes precedence over personal concerns—a sign of selflessness, and a heroic trait.

In the Shangla school, Malala is one of only a handful of older girls who attend: Most stop going to school at age 10. The experience reinforces Malala’s commitment to girls’ rights to education. Her own drive for education is unwavering: While her little brothers cry over leaving their pets behind, Malala is near tears at leaving her schoolbooks—a notably different attitude from many students who have unrestricted access to education and who would likely be thrilled to abandon their books. The uncertainty of her access to education makes it that much more precious. Malala knows that knowledge is a key to an independent future.

As Malala moves further into the public eye, her influence increases. Her meeting with the US Special Ambassador Richard Holbrook makes her understand that she wishes to be in a position where she, like the ambassador, can effect change, as opposed to being merely a supplicant. Being elected speaker to the District Child Assembly Swat gives Malala a taste of leadership and responsibility, which she takes “very seriously.” This group does effect change, making Malala feel as though she is making a real difference. Malala’s awards and recognition give her the confidence to confront the Prime Minister with a list of demands and solidify her decision to become a politician.

Politics in Pakistan before and during the time of Malala’s story are highly volatile. In the timeline that follows the narrative, Malala briefly highlights some of the country’s major government and military upheavals before and during her lifetime. In the two years after Malala’s birth, Benazir Bhutto and her husband were convicted of corruption, and the Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, was ousted in a military coup by army general Pervez Musharraf, who ruled over a largely military government until 2008. Musharraf’s leadership was controversial and also marred by alleged corruption. Musharraf suspended the constitution in 2007, for which he was later sentenced to death for high treason in 2019, though that verdict was overturned in 2020 (Afzal, Madiha. “Why Pakistan’s Former Ruler Musharraf Was Sentenced to Death, and What It Means.” Brookings, 19 December 2019, www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2019/12/19/why-pakistans-former-ruler-musharraf-was-sentenced-to-death-and-what-it-means/. Accessed 29 July 2021.). Although during his rule, Musharraf worked with the United States on its war against terrorism and signed into law a women’s rights bill, he was criticized for not making real change (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Pervez Musharraf.” Britannica, 7 August 2021, www.britannica.com/biography/Pervez-Musharraf. Accessed 29 July 2021.). After Bhutto’s return and assassination, the Pakistan People’s Party won elections, and Bhutto’s husband, Zardari, was elected president. During this time, from 2008 to 2011, the Taliban extended their influence, breaking treaties with the government. Osama bin Laden, hiding in Pakistan, was killed by the United States military.

Even though Malala does not understand the intricacies of her country’s politics, she witnesses the government’s volatility and inefficacy in the military conflict and the army’s letter to her father. She sees that citizens are caught in the middle between the Taliban and the government. Her experiences as a war refugee, and seeing the impact of conflict on others, inform her later decision to become a politician.