She maybe the youngest ever Nobel Laureate, an inspiration to millions, and an advocate for girl’s rights around the world, but Malala Yousafzai is also a young woman of 23, who last year graduated from Oxford University – arguably making her one of its most famous graduates. And it’s this transition from girl to young woman that got highlighted when Malala, as she’s simply known by most, posed for the cover of British Vogue for its July 2021 edition.
In the , Malala went on to discuss the simple pleasures she got just by being surrounded by people her own age – something she hadn’t experienced since she was targeted by the Taliban and shot in a near fatal attempt on her life back in 2012 (what she refers to as "the incident").
“I had never really been in the company of people my own age because I was recovering from the incident, and travelling around the world, publishing a book and doing a documentary, and so many things were happening. At university I finally got some time for myself,” she says.
Being around people her own age meant doing things that she hadn’t often done before like going to McDonalds.
“I was excited about literally anything. Going to McDonald's or playing poker with my friends or going to a talk or an event. I was enjoying each and every moment because I had not seen that much before.”
Malala’s extraordinary journey from being a school girl in Pakistan to world famous icon and activist has been written about extensively, including in her own book I am Malala which was published in 2013. But some of the incredible things Malala has achieved since writing her autobiography include establishing the that is a non-profit organisation investing in girls’ education around the world and becoming the youngest ever person to with the .
However, now that Malala has graduated from university much of the world is wondering what next for this young woman who has already reached incredible heights. It’s something Malala ponders herself, as she tellsVogue: “This is a question I have for myself every night. Lying awake in bed for hours thinking, ‘What am I going to do next?’”
While Malala ponders such a question, she will be busy with her current role as a producer working on a slate of dramas, children's series, animation and documentaries with Apple TV+ with whom has
With her career and future prospects looking bright, Malala hasn’t had much time to focus on her love life and she is unsure if she will ever get married.
“I still don’t understand why people have to get married. If you want to have a person in your life, why do you have to sign marriage papers, why can’t it just be a partnership?” However her father she says still receives offers of arranged marriages from potential suitors in Pakistan, something that causes Malala much amusement.
There is no doubt that whatever Malala does in the future, the world will be sure to pay attention. And while the reaction to Malala’s cover has been almost unanimously positive, with many social media users calling it beautiful and stunning, Malala wanted her cover to inspire young women and girls around the world.
"I know the power that a young girl carries in her heart when she has a vision and a mission — and I hope that every girl who sees this cover will know that she can change the world."
