Ted talks are some of my favorite ways to feel inspired and informed. I try to watch these talks as often as possible but it usually ends up that at best I'll sit down to a quiet dinner once a month and take in as many of these as I can. I stumbled upon this Ted Talk tonight and had to post it. Unless you live under a rock or have a strong aversion to the news you probably know who Malala Yousefzai is and the impact she has had not only women & girls in Pakistan but around the world. She was shot in the head by the Taliban for speaking out about the atrocities under their rule (at age 12), made a full recovery, had a fatwa placed against her or anyone who tried to support her and has since inspired an amendment to Pakistani law that all children now have the right to education and has become the youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient at age 17. Her fathers talk is so heartfelt and beautiful. I implore you to take 17 minutes out of your day to watch it.
And then think of the ways we can pay it forward, pass these ideas along and raise our daughters and sons to be empowered toward equality. These struggles don't just exist on foreign soil, these sentiments are echoed here in our own backyards. We must push each other to open up dialogues, be mindful of our language toward one another and the limitations we put on ourselves and each other.
