A Pakistani activist, Malala Yousafzai fights for girls’ right to education, and the collection of best Malala Yousafzai quotes below expresses just that.
From getting equal opportunities in the workforce to being entitled to an education, it’s scary to think how far behind we really are when it comes to things that should be taken for granted.
On October 10, 2014, Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai made history by becoming the youngest woman to receive a Nobel Peace Prize grant.
Listening to her acceptance speech, packed with motivational quotes about why we should fight to level the fields when it comes to women’s education, was completely inspiring.
Her journey to help girls gain the right to attend school in Pakistan has not been an easy one.
Malala Yousafzai challenged the Taliban in Pakistan, demanding that girls have the right to receive an education in Pakistan.
When she was just 15 years old, Yousafzai was shot in the head by a member of the Taliban for advocating for girls’ education.
The fact that this didn’t stop her from fighting for women everywhere and instead motivated her to keep going makes her an inspiration to all of us.
You don’t have to be a woman to understand how brave Malala Yousafzai is to put her life on the line so that all girls can go out and truly experience their own, and these quotes are proof of that.
Take a look below for Malala Yousafzai’s best quotes on women, the power of education, and how to make a difference in the world no matter who you are.
Malala Yousafzai Quotes About Women:
1. “When the whole world is silent, even a single voice becomes powerful.” -Malala Yousafzai
2. “We liked to be known as the smart girls. When we hennaed our hands for holidays and weddings, we drew calculations and chemical formulas instead of flowers and butterflies.” -Malala Yousafzai
3. “The extremists have shown what scares them the most: a girl with a book.” -Malala Yousafzai
4. “I am stronger than fear.” -Malala Yousafzai
5. “If a man can destroy everything, why can’t a girl change it?” -Malala Yousafzai
6. “If a woman can go to the beach and wear nothing, why can’t she wear everything?” -Malala Yousafzai
7. “In Pakistan, when women say they want independence, people think that means we don’t want to obey our fathers, brothers or husbands. But it doesn’t mean that. It means we want to make decisions for ourselves. We want to be free.” to go to school or work. Nowhere in the Qur’an is it written that a woman should depend on a man. The word has not come down from heaven to tell us that every woman should listen to a man.” -Malala Yousafzai
8. “I was a girl in a land where rifles are fired in celebration of a son, while daughters hide behind a curtain, their role in life is simply to prepare food and bear children.” -Malala Yousafzai
9. “I raise my voice, not to shout, but so that the voiceless can be heard.” -Malala Yousafzai
10. “We realize the importance of our voice when we are silenced.” -Malala Yousafzai
11. “Our men think that making money and ordering others around is where the power lies. They don’t believe power is in the hands of women who takes care of everyone all day long, and gives birth to their children”. -Malala Yousafzai
12. “There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a third power stronger than both, that of the woman.” -Malala Yousafzai
13. “I tell my story, not because it is unique, but because it is not. It is the story of many girls.” -Malala Yousafzai
14. “I think the weapon doesn’t have any power.” -Malala Yousafzai
15. “Even if I’m a girl. Even if people think I can’t do it, I shouldn’t give up hope.” -Malala Yousafzai
16. “When someone takes your pens away, you realize how important education is.” -Malala Yousafzai
17. “My mom would always tell me, ‘Hide your face, people are looking at you.’ I’d say, ‘It doesn’t matter; I’m looking at them too.'” -Malala Yousafzai
18. “You can belong to any religion, caste or creed, that has nothing to do with the affairs of the state.” -Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai Quotes on Education:
19 “A child, a teacher, a book and a pen can change the world.” -Malala Yousafzai
20. “Let’s take our books and our pens, they are the most powerful weapons.” -Malala Yousafzai
21. “Education is neither Eastern nor Western. Education is education and it is a right of every human being”. -Malala Yousafzai
22 “I told myself, Malala, you must be brave. You must not be afraid of anyone. You are just trying to get an education. You are not committing a crime.” -Malala Yousafzai
23. “Extremists are afraid of books and pens, the power of education scares them. They are afraid of women.” -Malala Yousafzai
24. “Education is education. We must learn everything and then choose which way to go.” -Malala Yousafzai
25. “With guns, you can kill terrorists, with education you can kill terrorism.” -Malala Yousafzai
26. “Even though we loved school, we didn’t realize how important education was until the Taliban tried to stop us. Going to school, reading, and doing homework wasn’t just a way to pass the time, it was our future.” “. -Malala Yousafzai
27 “We call on our sisters around the world to be courageous, to embrace the strength within themselves and realize your full potential. Dear brothers and sisters, we want schools and education for the bright future of every child. ” -Malala Yousafzai
28 “Extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education scares them. They are afraid of women. The power of women’s voices scares them.” -Malala Yousafzai
29. “The Taliban could take away our pens and books, but they couldn’t stop our minds from thinking.” -Malala Yousafzai
30 “Let’s take our books and pens, they are our most powerful weapons.” -Malala Yousafzai
31. “They thought the bullets would shut us up, but they missed. And out of that silence came thousands of voices. The terrorists thought they would change my goals and stop my ambitions. But nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage were born. -Malala Yousafzai
32. “For me, the moral of the story was that there will always be obstacles in life, but if you want to achieve a goal, you have to continue.” -Malala Yousafzai
33. “Education is our basic right. Not only in the West; Islam has also given us this right. Islam says that all girls and all boys must go to school. In the Qur’an it is written, God wants that we have knowledge. He wants us to know why the sky is blue and about the oceans and the stars. I know it is a great struggle: worldwide, there are fifty-seven million children who are not in primary school, thirty-seven two million of them girls. -Malala Yousafzai
34. “Ignorance allowed politicians to deceive the people and bad administrators to get re-elected.” -Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai Quotes on Personal Strength:
35. “Today I looked in a mirror and thought for a second. I had once asked God for an inch or two more height, but instead, he made me as tall as the sky, so tall that I couldn’t measure. myself.” -Malala Yousafzai
36. “Kindness can only be repaid with kindness. You can’t repay it with expressions like ‘thank you’.” -Malala Yousafzai
37. “I don’t want to be seen as the ‘girl who was shot by the Taliban’, but as the ‘girl who fought for education.’ This is the cause I want to dedicate my life to.” -Malala Yousafzai
38. “We only realize the importance of our voices when we are silenced.” -Malala Yousafzai
39. “I think everyone makes a mistake at least once in their life. The important thing is what you learn from it.” -Malala Yousafzai
40. “A child, a teacher, a book, a pen can change the world.” -Malala Yousafzai
41. “Life isn’t just about taking in oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide.” -Malala Yousafzai
42. “I raise my voice not so that I can shout, but so that those who have no voice can be heard.” -Malala Yousafzai
43. “This is what my soul tells me: Be peaceful and love everyone.” -Malala Yousafzai
44. “We were afraid, but our fear was not as strong as our courage.” -Malala Yousafzai
45. “Don’t be afraid, if you’re afraid you can’t move forward.” -Malala Yousafzai
46. ”All I want is education, and I’m not afraid of anyone.” -Malala Yousafzai
47. “I raise my voice, not so I can shout, but so the voiceless can be heard…we can’t succeed when half of us are held back.” -Malala Yousafzai
48. “Read thousands of books and I will empower myself with knowledge. Pens and books are the weapons that defeat terrorism.” -Malala Yousafzai
49. “I assured my mom that I didn’t care if my face wasn’t symmetrical. To me, that she had always worried about my appearance, how my hair looked! But when you see death, things change. It doesn’t matter if I can’t smile or blink properly,” I told her. “It’s still me, Malala. The important thing is that God has given me my life.” -Malala Yousafzai
50. “I told myself, Malala, you have already faced death. This is your second life. Do not be afraid, if you are afraid, you cannot move forward.” -Malala Yousafzai
Cassandra Rose is a love and entertainment writer for YourTango.