Malala Yousafzai's Speech

By: Pranjal S.

Speech to the United Nations Youth Assembly

Malala Yousafzai's

United Nation Speech

Background infoformation

Who is Malala?

Malala Yousafzai is the youngest-ever Nobel Prize winner, education activist, and inspirational leader who brought change to the world. She quickly became famous after she continued to fight for education rights after being shot at age 15 in the year 2012 by a Taliban to silence her efforts. After surviving and recovering, she came forth again and gave a speech to the United Nations Youth Assembly that is still remembered to this day.

This speech she gave to the United Nations in 2013 was composed of her passionate advocacy for the education rights of every child and woman. Malala's speech resonated globally, persuading people to join her cause of promoting equality and access to education.

Author's Purpose: Why did Malala Yousafzai make this Speech?

Malala Yousafzai's purpose for presenting her speech at the United Nations Assembly was to advocate for the universal right to education. She primarily focused on the harsh living conditions and challenges faced by women and children where education isn't given priority or denied due to inequality. Her main goal was to raise awareness about the importance of education and how it was a tool for empowerment, peace, and a way to retaliate against the terrorist organizations that challenged her beliefs through violence. Malala sought opportunity by making this speech to inspire global leaders and the world to take action to ensure that all children, regardless of gender or race, have an equal opportunity to receive education. Her speech had a powerful call to action, addressing the obstacles to education for a large part of the population and promoting a path of positive change on a global scale.

The Effectiveness of Malala's Speech

Malala’s United Nations speech was highly effective in conveying a compelling message about the fundamental right to education. Her personal experiences that she shared over this concept added a level of depth and relatability and made her advocacy more impactful towards the audience. By courageously sharing her personal experience of surviving a Taliban assassination attempt to cease her efforts to promote education, Malala brought attention to the harsh realities faced by many girls around the world, similar to her. The speech became a catalyst for increased international awareness, inspiring not only individuals but also governments and multiple organizations to join her cause of promoting education for all, especially girls in regions where access is limited or denied.

In Malala Yousafzai's United Nations speech, the main idea revolves around advocating for the universal right to education, particularly for girls facing adversity. She stated, "So let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty, and terrorism, and let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons" (Yousafzai 18). The text evidence emphasizes her central theme that education serves as a powerful force against the hardships of oppression. In her speech, she brings light on the power of education, portraying it as a tool that not only brings knowledge but also instills courage and resilience in the face of adversity. Throughout her speech, Malala constantly incorporated the narrative of her personal experiences under the Taliban's rule, reinforcing the main idea that education isn't simply a privilege but a fundamental right that can break the shackles of fear and ignorance. Her powerful words ignited a global conference on the crucial need for education, specifically for lower-class women, making her speech a persuasive call to action.

Main Ideas/Claims

Malala Yousafzai employed a range of rhetorical devices and figurative language in her United Nations speech to enhance the impact of her message. She skillfully uses pathos to create an empathetic connection with her audience. She states, "The terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions. But nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear, and hopelessness died. Strength, power, and courage were born" (Yousafzai 7). By saying this, she elicits a strong emotional response from the audience, considering her life was on the line. This use of personal narrative grouped with emotional language effectively depicts the harsh truth of the broader issue of girls' education rights by making it compelling and relatable. By weaving her experiences into the speech, Malala engages the audience on a deep and emotional journey through her speech, as it creates a sense of shared concern and sympathy for the pressing matter. She effectively incorporates pathos in her speech as it becomes more persuasive to the audience because she connects to them on a personal level.

Language Use

Structural Elements

Malala Yousafzai's speech at the United Nations has an impactful structure that enhances the effectiveness of her message. She begins with a strong introduction, and then immediately captures the attention of the audience by stating, "Dear friends, on the 9th of October, 2012, the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead" (Yousafazi 7). This opening statement sets the heavy tone of the importance of her message and creates an immediate connection with the audience, as their attention is hooked. Throughout the speech, Malala employs a chronological structure, narrating her journey and the challenges she faced under Taliban rule. This chronological storytelling builds a compelling narrative, making her experiences relatable to many other unfortunate women and people around the world who don't easily have access to education. Then the speech is emphasized by a powerful call to action towards the end, such as "Let us pick up our books and our pens. They are our most powerful weapons," which serve as impactful structural elements, guiding the audience towards a clear and motivating conclusion (Yousafzai 18). This well-crafted structure enhances the overall impact of Malala's speech, ensuring a seamless flow of information and making her speech memorable.

How the Different Elements Make the Speech Effective?

The effectiveness of Malala Yousafzai's speech at the United Nations lies in the harmonious integration of her main idea, language use, and structural elements. Her main idea, advocating for the universal right to education, serves as the anchor that aligns every aspect of her speech. The language she implements, rich with emotional appeals, creates a deep connection with the audience. By using pathos, Malala taps into the audience's empathy and compassion, transforming a global issue into a personal and relatable narrative. The structural elements, including a powerful introduction, chronological storytelling, and compelling calls to action, provide a clear and engaging framework. This structure ensures that her message is not only impactful but also accessible, guiding the audience through a journey that moves from personal adversity to a collective call for change. The synergy of these elements makes her speech not just informative but also emotionally compelling, leaving a lasting impression on the hearts and minds of her audience and effectively advancing her advocacy for global education.

Defending her Claims

Malala's speech was extremely factual and persuasive as she advocated for education rights. The statistics and facts she presented were to bring awareness that children, especially girls are suffering from the poor living conditions that they were brought up in, where education isn't easily accessible or achieved. Her firsthand experience of being under attack by the Taliban serves as a credible foundation for her assertions. The claim that education is a powerful force against extremism is proven by her own story, where the Taliban's attempt to silence her through violence only strengthened her resolve. Malala's argument that education is a fundamental right is reinforced by the broader global context of inequality in access to education, particularly for girls. By asserting that education is a tool for empowerment and change, Malala makes a persuasive case that resonates with the universal principles of human rights and social progress. With education comes more people who can share and express new and innovative ideas that can help society as a whole move forward. The bottom line is that every person has the untapped potential to change the world by using the power of education, and they can use it to much broader problems that stretch out in various fields.