17 years old Malala Yousafzai wins Nobel Peace Prize

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has
congratulated teenage education campaigner Malala
Yousafzai on winning the Nobel Peace Prize, calling
her the “pride” of his country.
“She is (the) pride of Pakistan. She has made her
countrymen proud. Her achievement is unparallelled
and unequalled. Girls and boys of the world should
take the lead from her struggle and commitment,” he
said in a statement.
The Nobel Peace Prize went Friday to 17-year-old
Pakistani Malala Yousafzai and India’s Kailash
Satyarthi for their work promoting children’s rights.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the prize
saying that peaceful global development can only
come about if children and the young are respected.
Malala is the youngest person to be awarded the
globally prestigious annual prize.
“The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that
the Nobel Peace Prize for 2014 is to be awarded to
Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai for their
struggle against the suppression of children and
young people and for the right of all children to
education,” the jury said.
Malala Yousafzai — who survived being shot in the
head by the Taliban in 2012 — was recognised for
fighting for years for the right of girls to education,
showing by example that children can contribute to
improving their own situations.
“This she has done under the most dangerous
circumstances,” the committee said.
“Through her heroic struggle she has become a
leading spokesperson for girls’ rights to education.”
It also said that the prize recognised work by
Satyarthi to head various forms of protests and
demonstrations, all peaceful, focusing on the grave
exploitation of children for financial gain.
“Children must go to school and not be financially
exploited,” the committee said.
“In conflict-ridden areas in particular, the violation of
children leads to the continuation of violence from
generation to generation.”