Malala Yousafzai

The EU has invited Taliban officials to Brussels to discuss a migration deal — and today I am shaken and deeply disturbed by this. This is the same Taliban that banned girls from secondary schools and forced them into marriage. The same Taliban that, earlier this month, arrested dozens of women in Herat for how they were dressed. The same Taliban that detains, beats and executes women who dare to speak out or break their rules. Through its system of gender apartheid, the Taliban have erased women and girls from public life. Europe must not legitimise a regime responsible for one of the worst human rights crises in the world. Any engagement with the Taliban must begin and end with the rights of Afghan women and girls.

It’s a special feeling to celebrate your birthday in the place you were born, especially when you’ve been away from home for so long. I am grateful to Pakistan’s government and security officers for giving me that opportunity last week. I met educators and activists who are breaking down the barriers between children and their education. Artists who imagine the future and remind us that our best days are ahead. Girls determined to pursue their dreams, from the football pitch to the classroom. My heart is full of gratitude for everyone who made this trip possible, but even more so for the people and organisations who are working to turn every girl’s right to learn into her reality.

Today, 122MILLION girls worldwide are out of school. . . 122 MILLION voices, silenced. 122 MILLION leaders we haven't met. This #MalalaDay2026, we celebrate those working relentlessly to ensure that every girl is educated. So that every girl may be FREE. The world SHE builds starts with all of US. Support girls' education at Malala.org/donate/MalalaD… 🤍 @MalalaFund @Malala

“Education for girls is the front door to the house of life. When this door is open, all other opportunities are unlocked.” — our co-founder @ZiauddinY In many communities, whether a girl goes to school, stays in school or returns after leaving is often shaped by the men around her. That is why engaging men and boys matters. While it should never take the focus away from girls, creating space for men to honestly reflect can help shift the norms and decisions that shape girls’ lives. Our new research looks at how this work is happening in northern Nigeria, and how it can be strengthened. Read the key findings: mala.la/maleallyship

Britain's King Charles met members of Afghanistan's refugee women's cricket team as the club began a summer tour of England

"The Commission concluded that the Israeli government deliberately targeted Palestinian children and that these acts form part of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. This is not only destroying lives — it is destroying the conditions in which children can learn, recover and imagine a future. The delivery of humanitarian aid must be immediate, unrestricted and commensurate with the scale of destruction — not as a negotiating position, but as a legal obligation that is long overdue." –– @NabilaAguele, CEO, Malala Fund

Mahrang Baloch should not be in prison. Women and girls in Balochistan have suffered for years as their male family members were routinely arrested and forcibly disappeared. They deserve the life that everyone deserves: daughters who can go to school, fathers who come home at night. I stand with my sisters in Pakistan who face harassment and abuse, who are imprisoned for speaking out. This is not new — throughout our history women like Asma Jahangir, Farida Shaheed, Khawar Mumtaz, Hina Jilani and even Fatima Jinnah suffered persecution for standing up. Today, it is Imaan Mazari and Mahrang Baloch. Rather than addressing the horror of forced disappearances, the anti-terrorism court is targeting those who speak out against the oppression. Mahrang and her fellow activists must be released.

"We are deeply disturbed about the attack on a government girls' primary school in South Waziristan. Schools must be sanctuaries, not targets. Every girl has the right to an education without fear. We stand with the students, teachers and families affected." @MalalaFundPK @Malala

When I visit home and see all my favourite foods prepared for breakfast, I remember that, in so many ways big and small, my dad is always thinking of me. Happy Father’s Day to the kindest, sweetest and most loving man. You stood like a shield for me against all hurdles. You made me feel valued and helped me amplify my voice and set my own pathway. You’re always there for me, Khushal and Atal. I’m inspired by you not just because you’re a wonderful dad, but also because you’re an incredible husband, brother, son and friend to everyone — even strangers, animals and nature. Feeling truly lucky and grateful to be your daughter. Happy Father’s Day 💙

“We left everything to play cricket and I hope people watching and hearing our story will stand up for us to finally have our own national women’s team — and also for the girls back home.” thetimes.com/world/asia/art…

Inviting Taliban officials to Brussels to discuss a migration deal sends a dangerous message that a regime can systematically oppress Afghan women and girls and still be welcomed as a diplomatic partner. This is the same regime that, last week, detained at least thirty women and girls in Herat for how they were dressed, opened fire on the people who protested their arrest, killed a child and injured others.  The Taliban’s system of gender apartheid has erased women’s and girls from public life — banning them from schools and work, severely restricting their freedom of movement and forcing them into marriage. Europe should not be considering deals with a regime responsible for one of the worst human rights crises in the world. rferl.org/a/eu-taliban-m…

First, secondary schools. Then universities. Then work, movement, and autonomy. Now: a girl's silence can be used as a consent to marriage. Step by step, the Taliban has built a system designed to dominate every aspect of women's and girls' lives. When exclusion is written into law, it stops being a rights violation. It becomes institutionalized domination. Afghan women are leading the charge to demand accountability, justice and an end to gender apartheid.

A privilege to welcome @Malala to Scotland and to Bute House today. We stand together in calling for gender apartheid to be recognised as a crime under international law. Scotland firmly rejects the institutionalised oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan.

Nobel laureate @Malala Yousafzai thought changing the world would be easy — and then she came face-to-face with reality. In this first talk from #TED2026, she shares 3 lessons she learned about working for the future you want, even when hope feels lost: t.ted.com/5TL7wuQ

Malala Fund has always been carried forward by incredible people, each helping shape our mission. I’m grateful to @lenalfi for all she has built over the last few years and excited to welcome @nabilaaguele as Malala Fund’s next CEO. Nabila is dedicated, thoughtful and deeply committed to the girls we serve. From leading our work in Nigeria, she brings both vision and action to everything she does… and she’s always prepared, down to the extra jackets to keep our team warm when needed ❤️ I know she will accomplish so much in this next chapter as we continue working to ensure every girl can access 12 years of free, safe, quality education. The future of @malalafund is in excellent hands 💫

I had the privilege to share my solidarity with the Palestinian people in a meeting with Ambassadors Riyad Mansour and Majed Bamya, and Senior Advisor Sahar Salem at the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations. The ongoing Israeli genocide has destroyed or damaged every single school in Gaza. Places where children gathered, asked questions, made friends and imagined their futures no longer exist. The scale of destruction demands accountability and justice. And Israel is still blocking books and school supplies from entering Gaza, alongside other essential items like water, food and medicine — threatening the survival of an entire generation. Malala Fund will continue to support organisations responding to the crisis. We stand with local leaders working to help girls learn, rebuild their communities and shape their own futures.

Today at the UN, I spoke about a hard truth: True justice does not defend the humanity of children in one place and ignore it in another. I am devastated for families in Iran whose daughters left for school and did not return home. For parents in Gaza who buried their children beneath the rubble of their classrooms. For Afghan girls living under the brutal Taliban regime for nearly five years. The Taliban have built a system that removes women and girls from education, work and public life. This is gender apartheid, and it is time for the world to recognise it and act to end it. Speeches do not protect girls. But law, accountability and political courage can. malala.org/news-and-voice…

Today, @Malala is speaking at the UN. For 13 years, she has called for justice in that hall. Yet women and girls continue to suffer around the world, and children are dying without accountability. Justice cannot be selective. How long will international law lag behind injustice? WATCH LIVE | MARCH 9 | 9AM ET webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1u/k…

They were girls who went to school to learn, with hopes and dreams for their future. Today, their lives were brutally cut short. I am heartbroken and appalled by the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, including reports that a girls’ school in southern Iran was hit, resulting in the injury and death of many girls. The killing of civilians, especially children, is unconscionable, and I condemn it unequivocally. My heart is with the children, families and communities affected by escalation across the region. I stand firmly against violence and the targeting of schools and civilians. I call for the escalation of violence across the region to end. Justice and accountability must follow. All states and parties must uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians and safeguard schools. Every child deserves to live and learn in peace.

In Nigeria, 1 in 3 girls is married before 18. In the northeast & northwest, it's over 50%. Amina pushed back against family pressure to marry — but millions of girls don't get that choice. This is a policy problem with a proven solution: education. When girls complete secondary school, marriage is delayed by years. That's why we're backing a youth-led coalition pushing governments to implement policies that keep girls learning.