Girl Rising Worldwide Feminism: Reaching Around the Globe

1. Why did I choose this topic?

a. Favorite part of the semester
b. Malala Yousafzai
i. Her name meaning (named after a girl who spoke out and was killed)
ii. Born July 12, 1997 Swat District in North West Pakistan
iii. Nobel Peace Prize
iv. Became education activist in 2009 (began blog received threats)
v. Awarded Pakistans 1st National Youth Peace Prize in 2011
vi. Shot in the head October 9, 2012 just because she was struggling for her
education in her valley Swat. She was recovered in the United Kingdom,
and now she is campaigning worldwide for girls education & rights. She
was given Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
vii. In the weeks after the attack, over 2 million people signed a right to
education petition, and the National Assembly swiftly ratified Pakistan's
first Right To Free and Compulsory Education Bill.
viii. Opened an all girls school in Lebanon
ix. I Am Malala (Book)
x. He named me Malala (Movie)
1. Theres a moment when you have to choose whether to be silent
or to stand-up Malala Yousafzai
2. They thought that the bullet would silence us Malala Yousafzai
3. Im still an ordinary girl. If I had an ordinary father and an
ordinary mother, then I would have two children by now.
4. My father only gave me the name Malala. He didnt make me
Malala.
5. I tell my story not because it is unique but because it is the story
of many girls.
6. One child, one teacher, one book & one pen can change the
world.
a. We take our education for granted
xi. Free, safe, quality education is the right of every girl.
xii. 31 million primary-aged girls are still out of school around the world.
xiii. If all women in developing countries finished high school, deaths of
children under 5 would fall by 49%
xiv. In over 70 countries, girls face violence that prevents them from going to
school.
c. Miss Black & Gold
2. Why do I want to learn more about it?
a. Passion
b. Impact
c. Personal connection & responsibility
3. Thesis: Education reform is imperative and with it we can promote gender equality,
prevent sex crimes, and even strengthen economic systems across the globe.

4. Sources:
a. Girls Rising:
i. 80% of all human trafficking victims are female
ii. 33 million fewer girls than boys are in primary school worldwide
iii. 75% of AIDS Cases in Sub-Saharan Africa are women and girls
iv. In one year 150,000,000 girls are victims of sexual violence
v. 50% of all sexual assaults in the world are girls under 15
vi. 14 million girls under 18 will be married that year, thats 38,000 a day and
13 girls in 30 seconds
vii. A child born to a literate mother is 50% more likely to survive past age 5
viii. A girl with one extra year of education can earn 20% more as an adult
ix. Women operate the majority of farms and small businesses in third world
countries
1. Women grow economies
2. If you want to grow the global economy then educate a girl
x. If India alone enrolled 1% more of their girls in secondary school their
GDP would rise by 5.5. billion
b. Unicef:
i. If all girls had secondary education in sub-Saharan Africa and South and
West Asia, child marriage would fall by 64 per cent, from almost 2.9
million to just over 1 million
ii. Inadequate or discriminatory legislation and policies often inhibit girls
equal access to quality education.

Aliyah Gadson
Professor Jennifer Byrd
WGST 3102-002

12 April 2016
Worldwide Feminism: Reaching Around the Globe
One child, one teacher, one book & one pen can change the world. Malala Yousafzai.
Malala Yousafzai is my personal hero, my inspiration, and a girl who has had a worldwide
impact on education reform for women. Originally, I planned to delve into three specific
countries to compare girls education in those places; however, after re-watching Girl Rising,
learning more about Malala, and looking at global statistics I have decided to showcase a more
general aspect of my research. I chose this topic because watching Girl Rising was my favorite
part of this semester, and I can honestly say that the research I conducted has motivated me to do
extra-ordinary things. The statistics and testimonials that I learned about awed me, and
encouraged me to make a change. Education reform is imperative and with it we can promote
gender equality, prevent sex crimes, and even strengthen economic systems across the globe.
Definition of Malala: sad, grieved; a 19 th Century Afghan freedom fighter who sacrificed
herself on a battlefield and became a martyr for womens rights. He Named Me Malala was
released on October 2, 2015 and tells the story of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager who
was shot on the school bus by the Taliban on October 9, 2012 because she knew she deserved an
education. She serves as an advocate for the education of women and is the youngest to ever win
the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. Malala once stated that My father gave me the name Malala.
He didnt make me Malala. This resonated with me because besides the uncanny resemblance in
her story and the story of the woman that she was named after, she is telling girls all over the
world that despite your background or circumstances you and you alone have the power to create
your own destiny. Girl Rising directed by Richard Robbins, tells the stories of nine girls from
around the globe who despite rape, child slavery, arranged marriage, and many other hardships

are strong enough to understand that they deserve better. They are the epitome of Malalas
message.
In 2009, Malala began her work as an education activist through a blog. By 2011, Malala
had one Pakistans first National Youth Peace Prize. Three years later, she would go on to win a
Nobel Peace Prize for her fight for the right of children to receive an education and her fight
against the suppression of young people. Malala opened an all girls school in Lebanon and
wrote her own book titled I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by
the Taliban. What makes her accomplishments stand out even more is the fact that she is eighteen
years old, nine days older than myself. As I stated earlier, Malala and the research that I
conducted inspired me to take action. I have decided to work with Girls On The Run, a program
founded her in Charlotte, North whose vision is to have a world where every girl knows and
activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams. I originally planned on
volunteering at a school chapter, but I am going to strive to create my own chapter as well as
plan events here on campus to bring awareness to the importance of girls education, girls
power, and girls confidence.

Works Cited Page

Girls Education and Gender Equality. Unicef. n.p. 23 July 2015. Web. 28 April 2016.
Girl Rising. Dir. Richard Robbins, 2013. Web.
Malala-Yousafzai. Malala Yousafzai Blog, 2015. Web. 28 April 2016.
Malala. New Venture Fund, n.d. Web. 28 April 2016.