The Road to Gender Equality - Malala’s story | Nations United

(birds chirping)

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(Amala) I was named after a girl.

An Afghani folk hero

who was killed in a battle.

Just after I was born,
my father got our family tree.

It went back 300 years.

But not a single girl
or woman's name appeared on it.

He decided to make me the first.

He wrote Malala.

That's me.

(narrator) When her father's school
was closed down by the Taliban,

Malala Yousafzai began to campaign

for the right of young girls
across the country to go to school.

I have rights,
I have the right of education,

I have the right to play,
I have the right to sing, to talk,

I have the right to go to the market,
I have the right to speak up.

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♪ (tense music) ♪

(gunshot sound)

(reporter) They shot her in the head.
She is still in critical condition.

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(reporter) She was airlifted
to a military hospital

in Peshawar, where she had surgery.

(narrator) As surgeons
battled to save her life,

vigils took place throughout the world.

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(reporter) In this first photo
released today,

Malala's eyes are open.

(reporter) We have some really good news
to report.

Malala Yousafzai walked
out of a London hospital today.

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(Malala) Today,

it is an honour for me

to be speaking again after a long time.

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They thought
that the bullet would silence us.

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But they failed.

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My message right now is to young people.

We are living in a world where

things are not the way we want.

We are getting a system,
we are getting a world

which is unequal, sexist, racist.

We have systems
that are discriminating against people.

Our climate, our enviroment is at risk.

And there's so much that needs to be done.

But I hope that young people

they stand up, raise their voices,

they start their activism right now;
let your age not stop you.

Oftentimes we are told that

you have to be 40 and 50
to change the world.

I do not believe in that.

I think you can be
a change-maker right now.

If you are 11, if you are 16;
if you are 30, 40.

Change is possible anytime.

And I want you to believe in yourself

and make this world fairer, more equal,

and a better place for each and every one.

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(narrator) And once again,
there are positive solutions

that can turn things around fast.

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We need more women in positions of power.

At every level of government.

The time has come
for quotas that make sure

women are equally represented

in every country.

It's time to make our laws equal,

so that every woman is entitled to a job

and a national identification card,

and to own property.

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Women must be able
to live free from violance

and have the right to make decisions
over their bodies and lives,

especially in choosing
if and when they marry.

We must guarantee full access

to sexual and reproductive
health services and rights.

We must provide the money
to close the gap in girls' education.

And there are important changes needed

to achieve economic empowerment for women.

From equal access to finance,

to ending the gender pay gap,

to equal access to the digital world.

From mobile bank accounts,

to digital payment systems
and digital education.

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