Female Activist Malala Yousefzai Officially Married
Champion of girls’ education, Malala Yousefzai, was married to her partner Asser Malik at her parents' home in England on Tuesday, November 9th. Malala made history in 2014 when she became the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize at only seventeen years old. Malala is widely renowned for her human rights advocacy, especially regarding female education in her home country of Pakistan.
Malala and Asser’s wedding was a traditional Islamic Nikkah wedding ceremony, photos of which Malala later shared on social media. “Today marks a precious day in my life” Malala announced on Instagram beneath beautiful wedding shots of the happy couple. Her husband Asser works in the sports industry and is the manager for the Pakistan Cricket Board. Asser and Malala have known each other since 2019 and have kept their relationship private prior to the marriage.
As an influential figure of female empowerment, Malala has voiced concerns about marriage in the past. Many of these concerns relate to the power imbalance perpetuated by practices such as child marriage, which are common in Pakistan as well as many other parts of the world. Malala’s views sparked outrage amongst many Pakistan natives, however, has stood by her opinion in a recent interview with BBC’s Andrew Marr. Malala has since expressed that she is lucky to have found a partner who shares her ideas and values.
Malala is renowned across the world for her activism, and she has discussed issues of education and girls’ rights with powerful leaders from various countries. Tuesday’s wedding came nine years after Malala was almost assassinated by the Taliban for criticizing the group’s beliefs regarding female education. At the time of the shooting, Malala had been writing a BBC blog post about life under Taliban rule. She was only fifteen years old. After her recovery, Malala went on to co-found the Malala Fund, a charity that raises money for girls' education across the globe. In 2013, Malala came out with her autobiography, I Am Malala, an international bestseller that chronicles the struggles faced by Malala and her family.
Now at twenty-four, Malala is a graduate of Oxford University, where she studied philosophy, politics, and economics. Malala remains an outspoken proponent of female rights, most recently expressing anxiety and fear for the fate of Afghani girls under Taliban rule. Malala has accomplished so much in such a short time, and she stands as a testament to the strength of the marginalized girls and women across the globe.