Malala Yousafzai awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her "heroic struggle" in favour of girls' access to education.
The Pakistani schoolgirl shares this year’s prize with the Indian child rights campaigner, Kailash Satyarthi.
Both winners have risked their lives to fight for children's rights.
The event wasn't without controversy, as a protester carrying a Mexican flag walked towards the 17-year-old as she collected her award in Oslo. He was quickly whisked off by a security guard.
Nobel committee chairman Thorbjorn Jagland said the winners were "both symbols of what the world needs - more unity".
Mr Jagland told how Malala had been attacked by gunmen and said Islamic extremist groups dislike knowledge because it is a condition for freedom.
In an interview after the event Malala said she hoped to become her country's leader in the future.
She told the BBC: "If I can serve my country best through politics and through becoming a prime minister, then I would definitely choose that."
She was shot in the head by the Taliban on a school bus in October 2012 after her calls for equal rights angered militants.
She was just 15 at the time of the attack, which saw her airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where she was treated for her life-threatening injuries.
Joint winner, Kailash Satyarthi, was honoured for his vision of ending child labour. The 60-year-old abandoned a career as an electrical engineer in 1980 to work towards that goal.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee linked this year's peace award to conflicts between world religions and neighbouring nuclear powers as well as drawing attention to children's rights.
The ceremonies are always held on 10 December - the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel's death in 1896.
No comments:
Post a Comment