NEW YORK and NEW DELHI: American actress Angelina Jolie honored Pakistani teenage girl Malala Yousufzai, who was shot in the head last year by the Taliban for promoting girls' education in the South Asian country. Jolie, a stalwart supporter of women's rights and development projects across the globe, was speaking at the first day of the Women in the World Summit. Yousufzai, 15, has become an international figure as a symbol of resistance to Taliban efforts to deny women's rights and is even among nominees for this year's Nobel Peace Prize. In Pakistan, women's rights activist Mariam Ali in Lahore told Bikyanews.com that she hoped “the international attention would help bring an end to the violence that is being put towards women and girls in this country.” Speaking at the first day of the Women in the World Summit, Jolie recounted the horrific circumstances of Yousufzai's attack. “They shot her at point-blank range in the head and made her stronger," Jolie said. “In a brutal attempt to silence her voice, it grew louder and she more resolute, calling on the entire world, not just Pakistan to ensure the right for every girl and boy for an education," Jolie added. Following the attack, Vital Voices, with a donation from the Women in the World Foundation, established the Malala Fund. The Fund will be directed by the 15-year-old girl herself. Malala said she will use the fund to help with the education of girls in Pakistan. Last month, Yousufzai returned to school on Tuesday in Britain where she has been treated for her injuries. Yousufzai was brought to Britain for specialist treatment after she was shot in the head at point-blank range by Taliban gunmen last October. She left the hospital in February after she made a good recovery from surgery during which doctors mended parts of her skull with a titanium plate and inserted a cochlear implant to help restore hearing on her left side. Yousufzai will study a full curriculum at the school, where annual fees are 10,000 pounds ($15,100), before selecting subjects for GCSE exams, which are generally taken at age 16. BN
