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Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi have been awarded the Nobel peace prize “for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education”.

Education International (EI) is celebrating the international recognition of Kailash Satyarthi, a close friend of EI’s and a tireless advocate for children’s rights, and Malala Yousafzai, probably the world’s best-known advocate for the right of every child to access quality education.

“I would like to congratulate both Malala and Kailash for receiving this extraordinary honour,” expressed EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen. “Their tireless efforts and dedication towards promoting quality education for all children, often in the face of threats from those who oppose basic human rights, are being celebrated by all of us at Education International.”

The laureates

Malala Yousafzai, 17, from Mingora, Pakistan is the youngest recipient of the award. On Oct 9, 2012, after becoming an advocate for girls’ education, she was shot by a Taliban gunman on her way home from school. She survived, and has become an international ambassador for education. She was previously nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2013.

Despite reoccurring Taliban threats, Yousafzai remains a staunch advocate for the power of education. On October 10, 2013, in acknowledgement of her work, the European Parliament awarded Yousafzai the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

Kailash Satyarthi, 60, is the founder of the Global March Against Child Labour, Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), the South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude (SACCS), and Rugmark. He is based in New Delhi, India, but his work extends to Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Satyarthi also sits on the board of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE).

At the age of 26 Satyarthi gave up his career as an electrical engineer and dedicated his life to helping the millions of children in India who were forced into slavery. His original idea was daring: he decided to mount raids on factories — factories frequently manned by armed guards — where children, and often entire families, were held captive as bonded workers.

After successfully freeing and rehabilitating thousands of children, he went on to create a global movement against child labour. Today, Kailash continues to lead the Global March Against Child Labour, a conglomeration of 2000 social-purpose organisations and trade unions in 140 countries.

Haldis Holst, EI Deputy General Secretary and who leads the organisation’s work in human and trade union rights, equality, and solidarity programmes, currently represents EI on the board of the Global March Against Child Labour.

Photo: courtesy of Nobelprize.org