The United States Department of State on Saturday joined the United Nations in recognizing Pakistani education activist and Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai as one of the ‘most significant’ people of the decade.
“As we approach the end of 2019, we join UN in looking back on most significant people & events of the decade, including Malala, who received the 2014 Nobel Prize in recognition of her struggle against oppression of young people & for the right of all children to education,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells.
The State Departments Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs tweeted the message on behalf of Alice Wells.
The United Nations (UN) had earlier this week declared Malala as “the most famous teenager in the world” in its Decade in Review.
In part one of its review series, which takes into account events that happened between 2010 and the end of 2013, the UN had also highlighted the devastating Haiti earthquake in 2010, the beginning of the ongoing Syrian conflict for 2011 and Malala’s work in favour of girls’ education for the year 2012, as important events.
The 22-year-old was also recently chosen by Teen Vogue as as its cover person for its last issue of the decade. The magazine announced it had decided to “reflect” the last ten years with the education activist.
“The last ten years have been rooted in the brilliant, world-changing demands of teens across the world. As Teen Vogue reflected on this, we knew there was one perfect person to sit down and reflect on this wild decade with: Malala Yousafzai,” the US publication said.
