On her second visit to Brazil, Pakistani and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai spoke about the importance of men being more engaged in the fight for gender equality. An activist focused on the education of girls and women around the world, she reinforces that society as a whole wins when there are rights and opportunities for everyone, without distinctions or hierarchies of gender, race or class. Malala argues that women should be protagonists in the fight for gender equality- Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil “When we talk about girls’ rights, it is very important to think about the role that men and boys have. It’s not just a women’s problem. They are everyone’s problems. If women are not treated fairly, it affects everyone. It affects the economy. When we miss out on opportunities to study, it can cost millions of dollars. But when we have access to education, that adds up to millions of dollars more. The question of gender and the social economy is important. Therefore, the participation of men is critical. They have a role within the family to support mothers, daughters and sisters. I am very grateful to have had a father who supported me. Brave men can really change women’s lives.” Malala participated on Monday night (22), at Maracanãzinho, in Rio de Janeiro, in a conversation circle that opened the 2023 season of LER – Festival do Leitor. At the literary event, she met educators and members of social projects in Brazil, and said that, while male support is fundamental, no effective change will happen in society without the active struggle of women as protagonists. “Nobody should decide for me how I should live my life, what activities I can do, what job I should have. That decision is mine as a woman and a girl. To everyone here today, whatever career path you choose, do it because it’s your passion and not because of pressure. When someone says you can’t do it, that it’s not for you, look to past women’s role models and inspirations to know that you can. And if there are no women there, you can be the first. Challenge. Prove that women can do what they want.” Biography Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai participates in the Festival do Leitor, in Maracanãzinho. Fernando Frazão / Agência Brasil In October this year, she will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the autobiography Eu sou Malala, which tells the story of the activist. Because she was involved from an early age in the fight for the right to education, she was the target of an attack by the Taliban group in October 2012, in northeastern Pakistan, when she was returning from school. Hit by a bullet, she spent days in serious condition. During recovery, she was transferred to a hospital in England, where she currently resides. She created, alongside her father, the Malala Fund in 2013, aimed at promoting universal education for girls around the world. In 2014, aged 17, she was the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2020, she completed a degree in philosophy, politics and economics at the University of Oxford. “My story is not a unique story. There were many girls like that, including in the Suate Valley in Pakistan, who were protesting that their rights were being infringed. But in most cases, it was the fathers and brothers who prevented the daughters and sisters from speaking up and fighting for their rights. The only thing different about my story is that my father didn’t stop me. Many girls are held back by men. We don’t need a special power, a special qualification. We have capacity. We must not be stopped, we must do whatever we want.” Malala also commented on the importance of combating misinformation and hate speech on the internet. For her, digital education should be widely discussed, including in schools, and everyone involved in the production, consumption and circulation of information should assume responsibility. “Every tool we use has an upside and a downside. And we all have responsibilities for that. Of course, there are public policies that should bring about regulations, to lessen and reduce damage. But the people behind these companies should also have a sense of responsibility. And in the end, users also have a role in seeking to be more informed, more educated about what they share. That digital education be taken to schools and that the next generations can be educated on how to protect themselves from lack of information, against misinformation and content that can cause harm. Education is important, but there must also be individual awareness”.
Agência Brasil
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