Malala Yousafzai- THE PERFECT TEEN ICON

"Education is power for women. The Taliban terrorists don't want women to get an education because then the women would become more powerful. "- Malala

We are at a stage in life when we are consciously looking at people around them for inspiration. One such inspirational girl is the Nobel Prize for peace winner Malala Yousafzai (17). Instead of passively accepting her subjugation and socio-political circumstances that prevented her and every girl child from going to school, Malala had a voice and conviction to fight for education, risking her life in the process.

Meenakshi, 16: Malala is definitely a teen icon because she is aware of the circumstances in her society and she fights for them. She is not scared about raising her voice.

Mallika, 18: She's been really smart about using her circumstances to build on something she believes in. I don't see what's so wrong with someone who has gone through so much using their status to make sure other people don't have to go through the same thing. She hadn't made unrealistic demands, or at any point behaved like a vengeful teenager. While she is doing all she can to exploit the circumstances that brought her into the limelight, it is definitely helping people (a good example of this is the fact that Pakistan ratified their first right-to-education bill after a campaign launched under her name), so why should people hold her age or the unfortunate circumstances that brought her to where she is against her?

Her goal is simple- women's empowerment through education, especially in her beautiful hometown, the Swat valley in Pakistan. Her understanding of how to accomplish that was very clear; to make the rest of the world aware of the extreme suppression of women and the terror caused by the extremists. She wanted to get media attention not for herself, but for the cause of improving society at large. Through outside intervention, change in the treatment of women and the girl child, with regard to education could be brought about within her community.

She believes that the only way to prevent a third world war and to bring peace is through education. What is noteworthy about this girl is that in spite of realizing the danger of having a voice against the Taliban in a Taliban-ruled community, she didn't give up. She stayed courageous and determined.

On the Daily Show hosted by Jon Stewart, Malala talked about her father, who runs a school, being her inspiration. Her father's love and support for the cause of education for the girl child inspired her to raise her voice.

She felt that being the girl child, it was her duty to raise her voice and she stuck to her resolve to make the rest of the world notice the grim circumstances of women in Pakistan. She staunchly believes in dialogue as a way of negotiation. And, this is what makes her the perfect teen icon.