Malala Yousafzai, youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate, celebrated her 26th birthday in style on Wednesday.
Taking to Instagram, the activist shared a photo with girls in Nigeria, where she celebrated her birthday as she spread awareness about their right to education. She also addressed the United Nations the same day during her stay in Nigeria.
“Today I’m in Nigeria celebrating my birthday with girls, a tradition I started 10 years ago,” she wrote.
“We should celebrate the girl who goes to university, takes a job, chooses when and if she marries. But we should not deceive ourselves into thinking that we have made enough progress. I want to cheer for those who have made it, despite the challenges they faced. But my heart aches for those who we failed. Every young woman like me has friends we saw being left behind – those whose governments, communities and families held them back,” the activist penned.
