"I will celebrate this Malala Day in community and solidarity with Tanzanian girls, amplifying their voices and learning from their progress."
In 2013, the United Nations declared July 12, my birthday, Malala Day. It was never meant to honour me. It was, and still is, a promise to every girl who dares to raise her hand, speak her mind and dream beyond the limits imposed on her.
Today that promise is under threat, with girls facing some of the hardest setbacks in a generation. Afghan girls, once top of their class, remain silenced, banned from school and pushed out of public life by the Taliban. Around the world, families face the impossible choice between buying food or paying school fees. Governments in wealthy countries slash aid funding, while countries with the highest education barriers for girls are crippled by debt, incapable of funding schools, teachers and safe classrooms.
When progress feels this fragile, we must shine a light on the girls who fuel our mission and remind us why we keep going. We must learn from them, support them and keep fighting to ensure the world hears them. This Malala Day, I am visiting Tanzania for the first time to be with courageous girls who, against all odds, are building a better future.
Alongside Afghanistan, Brazil, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Pakistan, Tanzania is one of six countries at the heart of Malala Fund’s new strategy. The barriers to girls’ secondary education there are deeply entrenched. Nearly two in five girls are married before turning 18. More than one in four becomes a mother before turning 19. In classrooms, where every child should feel safest, a staggering 88 percent of girls report experiencing violence.
Behind these numbers are stories of strength the world rarely sees: village elders standing against child marriage and teachers creating safe spaces for students. In 19 villages, with support from our grantees, new laws now protect girls from early marriage. Our partners are helping young mothers return to school and working with communities and governments to end the violence pushing girls out of the classroom.
Since 2022, Malala Fund has invested $3.5 million in Tanzania. Under our new strategy, we are deepening our commitment to Tanzanian girls by investing $1 million more over the coming year. The facts are clear: investing in girls is the best way to build peaceful and prosperous societies and create economic growth.
I will celebrate this Malala Day in community and solidarity with Tanzanian girls, amplifying their voices and learning from their progress. Fueled by their strength and determination, Malala Fund will keep breaking down the barriers to 12 years of education for girls everywhere.
I cannot do this alone. I ask you to join me in standing with the girl reading by candlelight in Kabul, with the young mother in Tanzania tying her baby to her back so she can return to class and with the activist in Pakistan who never stops knocking on the doors of power.
These girls are not seeking rescue. They simply ask to be seen, heard and trusted.
The future belongs to girls who dare to imagine it. Let us walk with them. Let us keep fighting for their rights and demanding more resources for their education.
