We All Need Malala

People in America are often oblivious if not understanding of the issues in other places in the world.  Here we have idiotic groups that put women down called manists.  These groups are often regarded as outsiders who cannot find any other way to be relevant than denying an important cause attention and legitimacy.  But in many other places, believing women are the subordinates of men is a largely accepted view.  Malala, a young girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban, chose to ignore nearly every man she knew marginalizing her, and fight for her right to education.  Malala can show us how all of us how we can make a difference in a world that desperately needs us.

I believe that everyone should be a feminist, women just want their equal rights to be recognized, yeah some of us would love an apology for being treated like less than for a millenia, but why can't you just start with accepting that a women is worth more than $0.77 an hour.  We can not stand alone in our fight for equality, and quite frankly we shouldn't have to.  It takes more than the oppressed to stop oppression.  Malala accepts the help of her father and her friends.  She would not be were she is without it.  Everyone should help women in their fight for equality, we cannot make it to the finish line without supporters.

Martyrs have always played an important to the advancement of society.  From ancient Greece to Gandhi, people have suffered for change.  Not only was Malala nearly murdered, but she endured years withstanding some of the most potent hatred known to man.  Malala did a great service to the world, she showed us how harmful true hatred can be, she suffered to show us how much change is needed.  Many girls all over the world experience bigotry and sexism that puts them in situations were they can do nothing, Malala was able to escape her land of sexism, and stepped into the public eye, exposing the truly evil actions of the Taliban and other bigot groups.

When people compare the struggles of women in America to those of women in other places, they tend to delegitimize the actual real life discrimination women face right at home.  Malala has chosen to represent all of us, teaching equality, her story is some of the most horrid tales every seen by the public, but this should not turn the struggles of more fortunate women into side projects.  Sadly, we cannot change the policies of the entire world.  We must start by helping our own citizens, making sure their stories are heard.  Women in America are marginalized every day, just because their experiences are different than that of Malala, it does not make them less than.

In conclusion, Malala has proved invaluable, not just to the feminist movement, but to the world in general.  Having someone be able to tell their stories to the rest of the world, we are exposed to people who we not have known about otherwise.   We should look at the worst elements of the spectrum as well as the experiences shared by all.  The most important thing to remember is that every story is legitimate, we cannot discredit one persons story to add empathy to another's.