When Malala Yousafzai was ten years old, the Taliban began to control the Swat Valley where she lived, and quickly banned girls from attending to school, and cultural activities like dancing and watching television. Determined to go to school, Malala stood up against the Taliban. Her voice grew louder. As a result of her activism she was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize in 2011. The following year, when Malala was just 15 years old, she was shot by the Taliban. She was taken to the United Kingdom where she recovered and received an outpouring of support. On her 16th birthday, Malala visited New York and spoke at the United Nations. She published her first book, an autobiography entitled I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban (buy here). She later earned the prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought and became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17. In 2014 she established the Malala Fund. Her organization empowers girls through education to achieve their potential and become confident and strong leaders in their own countries.