Malala Yousafzai, a 14-year-old Pakistani girl, was shot in the head on a bus on her way home from school on Oct. 9 for being a vocal advocate for women’s education in Pakistan and speaking out against the Taliban.

The world first heard of Malala Yousafzai at age of 11 when she began to write a blog documenting her life in the Swat Valley of Pakistan for the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) under an assumed identity.

Passionate about school, Yousafzai wrote about her fears concerning the impending military operation that the Taliban, an extremist Islamic fundamentalist movement throughout the Middle East, implemented.

A notable blog entry on Jan. 14, 2009, read “I May Not Go To School Again.” Yousafzai expressed sadness at her school closing for the winter holidays and possibly never reopening again.

“In the past the reopening date was always announced clearly. The principal did not inform us about the reason behind not announcing the school reopening, but my guess was that the Taleban [sic] had announced a ban on girls’ education from 15 January,” Yousafzai wrote.

Yousafzai’s words were soon read around the world as people noted her intelligence and bravery. News outlets began interviewing Yousafzai in print and on television.

World leaders recognized Yousafzai’s bravery as well. She was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize by Bishop Desmond Tutu, and she has received Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize.

In April 2009, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari issued a regulation formally establishing a stricter implementation of Sharia law in the Swat region. Sharia law says that women and girls cannot go to school, hold jobs or visit the marketplace.

This regulation did not stop Malala. With the support of her father, Ziauddin, a principal of a school, Yousafzai continued to advocate for women’s education as death threats from the Taliban continued.

The assassination attempt also injured two other girls who were with Yousafzai. It has been reported that six men have been arrested in connection with the shooting, with Atta Ullah Khan as the main suspect for the assassination attempt.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assassination attempt and have vowed to kill Yousafzai in the event that she recovers.

Yousafzai’s courage is not only a noble example for teenage girls to follow, but also for the entire world. While this event is unfortunate, it has began a dialogue that is long overdue about Yousefzai’s cause, education for women, as world leaders including the President and the leaders of Pakistan have chimed in the discussion.