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A
This is an iHeart podcast. This podcast is sponsored by PayPal. Okay, let's talk holiday shopping. When you want to make the most of your money, head to the PayPal app before you check out. They give you the flexibility to pay in four no fees, no interest. And this is my favorite part. You can get 5% cash back when you pay later with PayPal. So why not splurge on the people you love? PayPal helps you make the most of your money this holiday. Save the offer in the PayPal app expires 1231. See paypal.com promoterms Subject to approval. Learn more at paypal.com payinfor PayPal Inc. NMLS 910457 Degree Advanced the world's number one antiperspirant provides up to 72 hours of protection against sweat and odor that comes with life. Degree is the wake up workout. Antiperspirant. The dashing, darting, carpool, honking, get the kids off to school. Antiperspirant the work from home and do the laundry grocery shop on your lunch hour, never take a break Antiperspirant. So do what you need to do, work how you need to work. Sweat moves you forward. Degree is here to make sure it doesn't hold you back. Degree here for sweat.
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High Key Listen to High Key, a bold, joyful, unfiltered culture podcast. Speaking of crunchy, what did you think.
A
Of your trainer's run?
B
I was amazing on that show, sister. Were you?
A
I had. I was amazing and I was better.
B
Than you would be if you went.
A
This is exactly why Bob is a.
B
Good drag queen, because she won't back down.
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She's not gonna go double back on that lie. I felt like you came in real hot, real strong, and that is just not the game, girl. Yeah. I'm gonna tell you why you're wrong. And I can't wait to do this. Please listen to High Key on the Iheartra radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, everyone, it's Sophia. Welcome to Work In Progress. Welcome back to Work in Progress, Whip Smarties. Today we are joined by someone I have been hoping to interview for so many years. An activist that I look up, A leader who has shifted the conversation around women and girls around the world. A woman who won the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17, who also happens to be a hell of a lot of fun. Very funny. And on her own journey of reclamation of her full self. Today we're sitting down with Malala Yousafzai. She made the world listen at just 15, when under Taliban rule, she was blogging for the BBC about her life under occupation, fighting for a right to education, and she was targeted and shot. She survived an assassination attempt and refused to be silenced. And since, her voice has shaken governments, inspired millions, and truly changed the conversation about girls education worldwide. Now, Malala is 28, living in the UK with her husband. And she's built a life that blends global advocacy and personal growth. And I want to talk to her about what her life is like away from the cameras and the crowds. How she's begun to remind herself that she's allowed to just be a girl sometimes. She doesn't have to be a saint. She doesn't always have to be a leader, but she always will be someone that we all look up to. Her new book, Finding My Way, is an absolutely gorgeous examination of this journey. She reveals never before shared private struggles that have existed behind her public courage. How she's grappled with survivor's guilt, how she's navigated the pressures of global fame, and how she's still trying to make a difference in a world that seems more resistant to change, perhaps, than ever in our lifetimes. And while she may be one of the most incredible figureheads we have for women in the world, like the rest of us, she's just a girl trying to figure it out one day at a time. Let's talk all things with Malala. Well, hello, and thank you so much for joining me on the show today.
B
Oh, thank You. I'm so excited to be here.
A
How is the book tour going?
B
I mean, it's a lot of work, but I'm so excited. It's fun. Yeah. And I'm so excited to go to like different cities in the us, uk, Europe, and meet the people who are going to enjoy reading this book.
A
Yeah. Yeah. It's amazing. I've been thinking so much in advance of today because I normally like to ask people when we sit down together to begin given anyone I sit with is usually doing something incredible in the world as you are, you know, audiences will know you for your body of work, your activism, who you are as an adult in the world. And I, I always like to go backwards with guests and find out about the, through lines and the connections to who they were in their youth, you know, the, the traits they grew up with that maybe tied to who they are today. And most often I ask people to take me back to if they could imagine rather an interaction with themselves at 10. But it really sort of took me back thinking about that for you because you were 10 when the Taliban took over the Swat Valley in Pakistan and just thinking about sitting in a room with you going, oh my God, what's, what's that going to be like for her? I wonder if you'd rather go back to maybe your 8 year old self or your 9 year old self. Is, is there joy when you think about your youth pre that shift that you'd rather begin within.
B
We went through a very tough time when the Taliban took over. This was when I understood how valuable peace is and how lucky those of us are who get the opportunity to get an education and follow our dreams because the Taliban denied all of that to women and girls in my hometown. But I have treasured every moment that I had with my friends. The moments I had in Swat Valley before the Taliban took over. We were surrounded by beautiful mountains, we lived by the rivers and I loved being closer to nature. But you know, even, even during the Taliban time when we would secretly go to school, hide our books and try to make sure that the Taliban never caught us, we would treasure the laughter, the giggles with friends. So it's, it's still a memorable moment for me when I think about girls having dreams and still trying to learn, even when scary men try to stop them. And after we saw what life looks like when you do not have peace, when you are hearing bombings and attacks, you are internally displaced, you lose all of that is that after that we treasure every moment of peace. So we were just so grateful for it. I do have memories, but of course I sort of became an activist at a very young age. So life did not feel like that of a normal child that I was before. It did change significantly, but I still tried to have normal experiences as much as I could.
A
That's really special. It's interesting to think about for you in that timeline because to your point, you have all of the memories before. It wasn't like you were three or four years old, so you didn't know what you'd lost. Do you think at the time you were able to reflect on pre and post takeover, or was the fearful adventure of continuing to pursue your education, was that really central to your world? Now as an adult, you can look back and really see the contrast in the pre and post take over.
B
I, you know, I remember the early days of growing up in Swat Valley and my time with my two younger brothers. We used to like, fight all the time, but we loved each other as well. I loved watching television. I loved my studies. I was obsessed with school, actually. The girls in my hometown valued education because they knew that it is rare to have a supportive father and a supportive family that allow you to be in school. So there were already many challenges that girls were facing and, and access to education. But when we saw the most extreme form of oppression against women, where gun, where armed gunmen tried to impose these rules on women that they cannot have jobs, they cannot leave their homes, and girls cannot go to school, that's when we realized that education is such a powerful tool that the people who do not want to see women empowered, they take education first from women. So, you know, I remember the before time that we had in Swat Valley. And sometimes I wish, like those days had lasted for a lot longer. Now there is peace. You know, after like two, three years of terrorism, A military operation was done. People returned to their homes after the displacement. But it still, I feel like, takes a while that. It feels like it still takes a while that, you know, for people to recover from what had happened.
A
Of course. Well, because the trauma, it changes your limbic system, your ability to walk outside in a carefree manner, to look at the mountains or watch the water in the river, to feel a lightness of being when it's taken from you. Yeah, I think it takes so much longer to get back than the theft takes to happen.
B
Yeah.
A
When you talk about knowing, you know, if these men wanted so badly to steal women's empowerment so badly that they would try to steal education from girls as young as 10 years old, younger, were you and your classmates, while you were fighting to study in secret, were you talking about it in real time? Were your relatives, your mothers, your aunties? Were the women in your life telling you why they were particularly so aggressive with the women and girls?
B
Yes. It was our normal day to day conversation to talk about what new rules the Taliban are now announcing, restricting women from something else. And, you know, people tried to make sense of it, but it just made no sense because the Taliban would sometimes defend it as an Islamic rule. But everybody said that, you know, we are already an Islamic country. And in Islam, education is not only a right, but it's actually a duty you are supposed to learn. And it's an equal opportunity for both men and women. So how can the Taliban be bringing their own extreme patriarchal norms into this? So we were also challenging them in misusing Islam. Yes. So yes, there were people who were challenging it, but the Taliban were threatening people who spoke out against them. The month of January 2009 was very scary because girls were not allowed to be in school. They were bombing schools and they were targeting people who spoke out. So I was more worried about my father at the time because I was only 11 years old. I did not know that they would come and attack a girl or a child. But I was more concerned about my father because I knew that a lot of activists who had spoken against the Taliban had been attacked. Every night I would pray for my father to be safe, of course, because.
A
His defending you put a target on his back as well.
B
Yes. And he was a very strong advocate for girls education. He spoke out for women. So, you know, they see men who become allies of women as a threat.
A
Of course, of course. Because in a fundamentalist or violently patriarchal culture, men who ally themselves with us are traitors to the patriarchy.
B
Yes, yes, 100%. And it just reminds us how powerful and important the role of men is to help dismantle patriarchy. Yes. You know, I, I tell people that I was able to speak out, be in front of a camera and tell my story to the world because my father did not stop me. He supported me in doing that. So many other girls in, in my school, in my community wanted to tell their story, but their brothers or their fathers stopped them. The men stopped them. And it's, it's so important for people to know that, you know, it's like, oftentimes it's the men who clip the wings of their daughters of the girls in their community. So oftentimes, you know, my dad is asked what he did for his Daughter. And he says, don't ask me what I did, but ask me what I did not do. I did not clip her wings. Yeah.
A
I love your dad. It's really.
B
He's very cool.
A
Yeah, right. How lucky to have such a cool dad. And I. And I think, you know, that's a big part of it because obviously as women, we understand what our gendered issues are. And if we're just talking to women about it, it's like we're yelling in an echo chamber. We need men to break through the issues with us.
B
Yes.
A
I wonder for you, you know, you mentioned that you had everything changed so early. You know, you wish you'd had more of those pre years, a longer Runway of normal childhood, as it were, you know, to go through what you went through. The fact that by 11 you were an activist, you know, you were blogging for the BBC. I'm sure now you understand the bravery that that took both on your own part and your father's part, certainly your family's part. Did you know then or as a young girl who loved school, who was pissed someone was telling you you couldn't go, did it just feel like the right outlet?
B
It's a fair question that if you are experiencing such a scary situation and you know that the Taliban could target you, why would you speak out? But I always remind people that I was more scared of a life without an education. That future was dark and I had seen how so many girls had lost that opportunity. I mean, you know, my life took a whole different trajectory so that, you know, I could never imagine that I would be like living in the UK and I would be going to Oxford and all of that. My dream was just to continue going to that local school that the Taliban wanted to close. And so, yeah, I. When I finished my graduation at Oxford, it was in 2020, I felt like I had won a battle, that this was a personal victory. I did not need to make any announcement or anything, but I took a moment with myself and I told myself, you have won. You completed your education. This is what the Taliban did not want to see. And you are living that moment well.
A
And living it not only as someone who escaped a system and who escaped a. A real vacuum of violence in a time. But I mean, you literally survived an assassination attempt.
B
Yes.
A
That's not something most people go through, let alone most 15 year old girls I know. That's obviously a story you've had to reflect on a lot. And the last thing I ever want to do is to ask women to constantly relive their trauma for maybe the five people living under a rock who don't know about it. But one of the things that I'm fascinated by is actually how we heal.
B
Yes.
A
And I've been so moved by the way you've spoken about how there was a time, you know, where as the human brain, does your brain work to protect you and you couldn't recall a lot.
B
Yes.
A
And you've worked on taking back, I would say, parts of those memories and being able to move past them. After this many years of doing that sort of self work, how does it sit with you now? How do you feel now? Are you more desirous of saying, I've spoken about it and I'd like to move on, or are you in a place where you. You feel like there are lessons you might want to offer to other survivors of trauma?
B
Yeah. I remember my last day of school in Pakistan. I'm with my friends. I hope I can go to school the next day. And then something happens. Like there's. There's just like too many memories, too many visuals, and it's just a very confusing time. But I think about a week later, I wake up in a hospital in a different country. I do not see a single brown face. Everybody is speaking a different language. I have a tube in my neck. I am processing what had happened. I'm looking for my family. I'm just like, who has brought me here? What happened? At the time, I was just trying to process this adjustment to a new culture, restarting a whole new life. And I felt like I did not have any time that I needed to recover quickly. And I healed through the surgeries quickly as well. We were offered mental health support as well. There was a therapist, but this was the first time I was hearing about it. You know, in Pakistan, it's often associated with, like, you know, people who, like, go crazy. And so I was like, oh, you know, what do you mean, therapy? I sort of rolled my eyes and I did not get therapy at the time. But seven years later in college, that whole shooting experience was triggered by a bong incident. And that night was the scariest night I had ever experienced because I felt that I relived it. The memory, the flashbacks, everything that I had suppressed in my memory or maybe that my brain had just to protect me. I would try to remember, but I couldn't remember anything. And suddenly everything was right in front of my eyes. That night, I froze. I could not do anything. I felt helpless. And as much as I tried, I started getting so scared. I could not even close my eyes because I thought if I closed my eyes, I would die. And you know, I felt that maybe, maybe I remembered, maybe I had seen what the Taliban did to me. And everything changed for me since because I could not get myself out of the trauma. I felt that it was something that was left undone. It was an unfinished part of my recovery. I always associated my recovery with the physical injuries. And once the surgery was done, I said, I am fully recovered. Everything is done. But this was that. That open wound that we did not. That we did not heal.
A
Yes.
B
So, yeah, after months of panic attacks, anxiety, ptsd, I finally started therapy. And it was only when a friend of mine told me that I should see a therapist. She could see that I was not being myself. And she told me that a lot of students get that. And she herself sees a therapist. That gave me a little comfort that I am not the only awkward one. And I was hoping that maybe I'll get some medication in the therapy, right that here are my problems. Prescribe me something.
A
Fix it fast.
B
Yes. Yeah, they told me this is going to be a process.
A
Yes. That's incredible. And now for our sponsors. This podcast is sponsored by PayPal. Okay, let's talk holiday shopping. When you want to make the most of your money, head to the PayPal app before you check out. They give you the flexibility to pay in four no fees, no interest. And this is my favorite part, you can get 5% cash back when you pay later with PayPal. So why not splurge on the people you love? PayPal helps you make the most of your money this holiday. Save the offer in the PayPal app expires 1231. See paypal.com promoterms subject to approval. Learn more at paypal.com payinfor paypal inc.nmls910457 okay, whip smarties, let me tell you a brand I adore. Adore me. Whether you're looking for more comfort, more cleavage, or both, Adore me has you covered. Adormi offers tons of sizes with new, thoughtfully designed bras, panties, lingerie, shapewear, sleepwear, and swimwear to choose from each month. You can elevate your underwear drawer with high quality sets that won't break the bank. Also, it's so nice to find a silhouette for every occasion with expertly fit bras and shapewear that defy gravity and bold lingerie styles that are just as comfortable as they are sexy. Let me tell you what I'm a fan of the silhouette for every occasion idea guys, because sometimes you want something beautiful, colorful, satiny. And sometimes you need something that goes full incognito nude simple T shirt bra. You know what I'm talking about. Whether it's bows or lace or whether it's sleek, undetectable fit and support, Ador Me has you covered. And with styles starting as low as $24.95, you can feel confident even if you're on a budget. Head to adormi.com now to shop styles from comfortable to Sexy in over 67 sizes. Degree Advanced the world's number one antiperspirant provides up to 72 hours of protection against sweat and odor that comes with life. Degree is the wake up workout. Antiperspirant the dashing, darting, carpool, honking, get the kids off to school. Antiperspirant the work from home and do the laundry grocery shop on your lunch hour, never take a break Antiperspirant so do what you need to do. Work how you need to work. Sweat moves you forward. Degree is here to make sure it doesn't hold you back. Degree here for sweat At Walgreens we.
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A
It is interesting, isn't it? How stigma, it really worms its way into the way we feel about ourselves.
B
Yeah.
A
And how lucky you were in the moment that this horrible thing was happening to you, that you had the great gift of. Friends say no. We, we. So many people go to therapy, we need it.
B
Yeah.
A
You know, realizing that there's stigma about it means that I talk about therapy on the podcast so much. Everybody knows I'm obsessed with my therapist. He's like one of my favorite people on the planet. And what I've realized, I think especially for women who love education, for women who are activists, when you are a problem solver, you often look out at the world and think, I'm gonna dedicate my time to this cause and these people, and I'll show up at this thing and I'll lend my voice to that thing over there. And it takes someone saying, you can also advocate for yourself.
B
Yes.
A
You can also invest in yourself. You can also work through the kind of critical thinking you've become an expert at for your own well being. And it, I find it really interesting how long it takes us to turn that sort of love of the world back on ourselves.
B
Yeah.
A
But what an amazing thing that you got to begin to do that.
B
Yes. And now I embrace therapy as part of my journey. Initially, I was taking it as a one off treatment, but I realized I need it, I need it more. Because, like, you know, I thought I was like, okay, you know, I'm sort of done with it. But then a few years later, I'm in South Africa and I speak about the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan, how the Taliban are restricting them from work and any political and public presence, and girls are banned from education. So when I spoke at the Nelson Mandela lecture, I finished all my interviews and in the middle of the night, I wake up from my sleep and I am shaking and shivering and I thought I was going to die. It was a proper panic attack. And my husband was there with me. He supported me and was holding my hand. But I realized that there is still so much that I have left unaddressed. So I went back to my therapist and now I'm like, okay, therapy is gonna stay with me. I'm gonna keep seeing my therapist more regularly and we should normalize it. I think that's the most important thing.
A
I think, especially, you know, we're at least here, you know, I don't know how it feels to you in the uk, but in the US we're so obsessed with physical fitness.
B
That's also good.
A
Well, sure, but for me, I'M like, if you go to the gym, if, you know, you should go for a walk after dinner to stabilize your blood sugar. Your brain needs a walk too.
B
Yes.
A
You know, your brain needs the gym. And so I try to reframe. When I speak about mental health, I try to reframe therapy as your brain gym or your mental health care.
B
Yes.
A
You know, it's healthcare.
B
Yeah.
A
And I think even that for me has done something where, you know, Tuesdays at 9am, that's my therapy slot. And I'm like, it's my. It's my brain Pilates.
B
Yes. You know, that's so helpful because I remember feeling just guilty for simply wanting to take a break or get a nap or go out for a walk. Because I thought when you are an activist, you're supposed to give 24, 7, or rather 25 hours, you know, like the extra time you can give to the work, to the mission. And I would, you know, I was always tired and exhausted and I was overwhelmed. And I think that's why these things like anxiety and PTSD and panic attacks, like, started happening because it all piles up. It adds to it that, you know, it was only when I got married that I started considering like this, you know, rest time and sports and just relaxing more. Seriously.
A
Yes.
B
So, yes, I do go to the gym. I do weightlifting and all of that. And I'm becoming a proper gym bro, which I love. Or a gym sis.
A
Okay.
B
Okay. And I do try, like, new sports, whatever that is. I don't have to be perfect at it. And of course I can never be good at it, but I'm like, it's just about playing and enjoying the sport. But more than that, it is giving myself some time to rest and recharge myself because I would not be able to deliver my best on the things that I care about if I do not look after myself.
A
Absolutely. That's been such a lesson for me too. And I think it is that activist's sort of motivation or heart where you think, I've got to give, give, give, give, give.
B
Yes.
A
I'm so privileged in my relative life.
B
Yeah.
A
I've got to. I've got to always be doubling down. And eventually I realized between that and the way I've been cultured to perform as a. As an actor, and I've learned a lot of this with my partner because of the way she was cultured to perform as an athlete. When you constantly think you have to be at the top of your game.
B
Yeah.
A
Constantly have to give every moment to excellence or Community or the speech or the flight or the book or the thing, you lose your sense of wonder.
B
Yeah.
A
And when you stop playing, you also stop re parenting that, that inner child to be able to give some play and adventure back to yourself, especially in the way that it was taken from you.
B
Yeah.
A
In your story, in your life. It's so restorative for the soul.
B
Yes.
A
And we also, our lives, our careers, they're so serious sometimes. I'm like, God, I'm so sick of being serious. I need a break. I want to go do something stupid. I have to remember that it's okay to not be good at everything.
B
Yes.
A
And you know, I also caveat that by saying I'm the asthmatic in the family. Like, I'm not a sport. I love to watch sports. I can't play them, so I'm not good at them either. But it does take some learning, right, to be free to play a little bit.
B
Yes. Now I see sleep, physical health and mental health as part of my activist life. And I know I can perform best in my activism if I am counting all of these things as part of my work. They are not something off work. This is not an off work activity.
A
Right.
B
Like you have to count in your sleep, you have to count in your nutrition, you have to count in your mental and physical health. And, and, and just recognize that this is going to help you deliver best in the work that you do.
A
It makes me so curious. I've wondered this for you and I'm so excited to get the one on one time because usually I see you at something enormous. It's like, this is cool. But yes, everyone's shuttled in and out. I was wondering for you, when I think about, you know, the timeline of your age.
B
Yes.
A
Again, blogging by 11 for the BBC, going through your incident at 15, you know, as you said, waking up in a new country and having to adjust to essentially the life of a political refugee. Do you ever feel like, did you ever feel, or maybe this is what you're reclaiming now. Did you ever feel like you could just be a girl, a kid? Like, were you ever allowed to have a bad day or be in a bad mood?
B
I wished for it, but I could not find an opportunity to be myself. So when I started school in the uk, I was in an all girls school and I had to be in school like for the whole day almost and then come home and my parents would just say, you know, stay at home. Or then I would be traveling for different events and conferences and be surrounded by people who are like 30, 40 years older than me and talking about really serious things and sharing my story. But at home, I remember my parents wouldn't even allow me to go to my friend's evening party or just, you know, friends, school, hangouts and all of these things which, like, basic things, you just go for a pizza party or something like that. But my parents were always worried. I remember, like, one time there was this like New Year's Eve fireworks at one of my friend's house and I couldn't go. And so my friend just recorded some videos on Snapchat and she sent it to me. So that's how I was trying to be a part of it. By the end of my school life, I had only made one best friend. That was it. And it was also, I think, just purely by chance because she fell out with her other best friend and I was just sort of like a side character. She's like, ok, you know, like, you can be with me. But I rarely talked. I could. Couldn't really be myself. I missed the old Malala that I was in Pakistan. Mischievous, funny, loud. I loved cracking jokes. And, you know, I was just. I had just so many friends and I. I remember I was like, there was a part of me who was an activist, but still myself. And somehow now I'm supposed to be like, you know, this grown, saintly kind of activist who has to meet this expectation of, like, being the same person. She. She cannot learn about herself. Like, she has to be this fixed version of herself now. So then came an opportunity where I thought, you know what, maybe I could experience things a bit differently. And that was when I was about to join college.
A
Wow. And how did you decide on Oxford?
B
I mean, it was my dream place to go to. I had heard about Oxford as a kid and the university is so beautiful. It has many colleges, old libraries. It is by the Cherwell river, so you are just so close to nature. And the college that I selected for myself is called Lady Margaret hall, and it was the first women's college at Oxford. Women were not allowed to go into any other library or colleges, which was, you know, just 120something years ago. So not that long ago that this was a reality for women, even in the uk, us. So, yeah, I knew that college was the place where I wanted to study.
A
That's really beautiful.
B
And the Pakistani female Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto also went to that college. So many reasons for why I should. Yeah, why I thought I should consider it.
A
It's really, really cool. And now a word from our sponsors that I really enjoy and I think you will too. This podcast is sponsored by PayPal. Okay, let's talk holiday shopping. When you want to make the most of your money, head to the PayPal app before you check out. They give you the flexibility to pay in four no fees, no interest. And this is my favorite part. You can get 5% cash back when you pay later with PayPal. So why not splurge on the people you love? PayPal helps you make the most of your money this holiday. Save the offer in the PayPal app expires 1231. See paypal.com promoterms subject to approval. Learn more at paypal.com payinfor paypal inc.nmls910457 okay whip smarties let me tell you a brand I adore. Adore Me. Whether you're looking for more comfort, more cleavage, or both, Adormi has you covered. Adormi offers tons of sizes with new, thoughtfully designed bras, panties, lingerie, shapewear, sleepwear and swimwear to choose from each month. You can elevate your underwear drawer with high quality sets that won't break the bank. Also, it's so nice to find a silhouette for every occasion with expertly fit bras and shapewear that defy gravity and bold lingerie styles that are just as comfortable as they are sexy. Let me tell you what I'm a fan of the silhouette for every occasion idea, guys. Because sometimes you want something beautiful, colorful, satiny, and sometimes you need something that goes full incognito nude simple T shirt bra. You know what I'm talking about. Whether it's bows or lace or whether it's sleek, undetectable fit and support, Adore Me has you covered. And with styles starting as low as $24.95, you can feel confident even if you're on a budget. Head to adore me.com now to shop styles from comfortable to sexy in over 67 sizes. Degree Advanced the world's number one antiperspirant provides up to 72 hours of protection, sweat and odor that comes with life. Degree is the wake up workout Antiperspirant the dashing, darting, carpool, honking, get the kids off to school. Antiperspirant the work from home and do the laundry, grocery shop on your lunch hour, never take a break. Antiperspirant so do what you need to do, work how you need to work. Sweat moves you forward. Degree is here to make sure it doesn't hold you back. Degree here for sweat at Walgreens we.
B
Know flu season can feel a little chaotic, so we're going to give you.
A
Our flu info in a meditation keeping you calm. Just like a certified Walgreens pharmacist will do if you're a little needle nervous. So walk in or schedule an appointment and Walgreens will handle the rest.
B
That's the human kind of help. Walgreens vaccines subject to availability, state, age.
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A
Interesting too to think about the timelines. You know, when you experienced present and active oppression suppression in your home country in your childhood. Then even, you know, a decade later, to be walking the halls of Oxford half a decade later and to know, oh, there was a time when I wouldn't have been allowed here either.
B
Yeah.
A
You know when you talked at the top of the hour about what the Taliban goes after, why it's girls education, why it's the empowerment of women, you know, what those systems look like, that patriarchy, the, if you will, the bastardization of faith. To be fundamentalist and actually against what the book says.
B
Yes.
A
You know, it's holding up a pretty terrifying mirror for me in what we're dealing with today in America. Yes, the fundamental bastardization of Christianity. Even though we're not a theocracy, the architects of Project 2025 want us to be, you know, the, the banning of books, the destabilization of women's roles in society, their desire to remove not only our bodily autonomy, but literally remove us from the halls of power government. You know, it's so surreal to see that we keep Making the same mistakes. You know, you think about 120 years ago at Oxford, well, we learned that lesson and now it's different. We've learned these lessons before.
B
Yes.
A
You know, so much of what's going on in America today. We fought world wars over this stuff.
B
Yes.
A
And somehow we're back. And I wonder, as you're balancing this really healthy sphere of your personal growth and your own joy and your own play, how. How do you counterbalance the imperative mission.
B
Yeah.
A
Of continuing to show up and say to people like, ding, ding, ding, we've been talking about this. We're going in the wrong direction. You know, how do you. Not just out there as an activist, but. But like you, the girl on the couch across from me. How do you keep yourself feeling fortified and not losing hope or falling prey to just frustration that we could be this stupid again?
B
Yes. You know, I think we all are feeling the same way in many parts of the world. I feel the exact same way when I think about the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan right now. They're living under a system of gender apartheid imposed by the Taliban, who are punishing women and girls for simply daring to get their education or be at work. The Taliban have made it a crime for women to have these equal rights. An Afghan girl has not seen a classroom for the past four and a half years. When I think about what's happening, it breaks my heart. And you are very right. In times like these, you wonder whether you should be celebrating success or you should be.
A
Screaming into the void.
B
Screaming into the void or at the people who are imposing these things into the megaphone. Yes. Why have we lost humanity? What is happening? Why are people putting the girls education issue aside, you know that people are normalizing relations with the Taliban and women are not allowed in the rooms. You know, women are. Are erased. Women are actually erased from, from public life or, or any existence. Which is really scary because it's not just about women and girls in Afghanistan. It is about what message are we sending to women and girls everywhere? Everywhere about our commitment to this so called gender equity or feminism. You know, these words fall short. They mean nothing if we cannot act on them when an injustice is happening right in front of our eyes. I started my activism at a young age. So I was an idealist for a very long time. I thought we could make some change happen with time. I thought, maybe I am naive. Maybe I am naive because everybody tells me it takes a long time. I know that we are mobilizing activists and people on the Ground teachers, young women, girls, and, you know, through Malala Fund, we investing them in Pakistan and Nigeria, Afghanistan. Like all of these countries, they're leading amazing work. They're changing policies. They're, like, changing the futures of girls. But at the same time, when I witness the reality of how a girl, like, in 2025 in Afghanistan is banned from education, how schools are still getting bombed in places like Gaza, how child marriage is a reality for girls in parts of Africa, when hundreds of millions of children are losing their future, it is frightening that still we have to defend it. We have to talk about it. We have to explain it. So I have become more pessimistic now, but it doesn't stop me from the way I do my work. It actually makes me work harder because I think that maybe we were just too naive and we took it for granted or we thought it would be too easy. So when we reflect on what's happening, I'm like, maybe we just thought one accomplishment and somebody is now using a hashtag that the job is done. No, I think we need to think about systemic change, a lasting change that guarantees protection to women and girls everywhere.
A
I love that for so long, you had to be this fixed version of yourself.
B
Yeah.
A
And you talk about your childhood and a little mischievousness, and I'm like, ooh, I want to know what your, like, favorite naughty habit is. And I don't think a lot of women get to be their whole selves in public. And it made me think for you, you know, not only did you go through all of this at such a young age, but even winning the Nobel Peace Prize at such a young age.
B
Yeah.
A
I mean, it was 2014. How old were you?
B
17?
A
I was gonna say 19. 17's even worse. I mean, amazing. But, like, did it. Did it make you nervous about evolving, growing, even dating? You know, you talk about your husband with such a smile. Like, how is a Nobel Peace Prize winner allowed to go on dates as a girl in college?
B
Do you know, like, after the Nobel Peace Prize, I thought, yeah, like, you know, people are paying more attention to what I'm doing, and they treat me with so much respect. But I thought, I'm a bit less cool now for the boys. Like, ugh, boring. No, Belle, like, nerd. She has, like, you know, nothing funny to say. So.
A
Wow.
B
So I, you know, I wanted to let that funny side of me come out. And in college, when I finally felt that, you know, I am in this space now on a. On a campus with no parents.
A
Yeah.
B
And for the first time and no staff or work people. This. This is my time now. And I'm gonna decide my calendar. I'm gonna decide what I want to do.
A
Did you ever skip class?
B
Many.
A
I'm so proud of you.
B
Oh, my God. It doesn't sound right, but let me explain.
A
Listen, you needed a break in college.
B
Like, you have to make choices.
A
Yeah.
B
I chose socializing over studying. It doesn't mean I was not studying at all. But if I could hang out with my friends and have some fun moments, climb the college rooftop or talk about boys and who was dating who, and who needs my advice on which boys to date? I wanted to do all of that because just that normal life of a college girl, you know, a woman in her early 20s, was something I had missed, and I wanted to relive that. Yes, I made the most amazing friends at college. They gave me that comfort zone where I could be myself. I did not have to think twice about anything I said, because before I thought, you know, are people gonna quote me? Are they judging me? Am I supposed to know everything? Can I be allowed, like, not to know anything? Like, absolutely anything. And not to have. Yeah. Like, so. So what do you think? I'm like, I don't know. I haven't thought about it. You tell me. And. And, you know, the. Those friends were amazing. It was the first time that I felt they were not interested in what happened when I was attacked. What was it like when I won the Nobel Peace Prize? They just wanted to know what I was up to with my assignments. What was I doing the next day? Should we go and get some groceries? And. Oh, what do you think about that guy? Isn't he cute?
A
Oh, my goodness. That's so incredible.
B
Yeah. Friends don't judge you. They give you that. That comfort zone.
A
I mean, the closest I can relate to. Not that I can relate to your journey in almost any way, but the closest I can. I went to a very small all girls school from through. All through middle school, all through high school.
B
Yes.
A
And when I was picking a college in. In a sort of similar way, I thought, it's been me. And, you know, I'm one of 55 girls in my class. There's 250 kids, girls in my entire school from 4th grade to 12th grade. I just want to have the college experience I've seen in the movies.
B
Yes.
A
So I decided to go to usc. And I was like, look at this. A football game. Never seen one of those before.
B
Exactly.
A
Look at this. A Greek system. Look at this. You know, a cafeteria. We I had, I mean, everywhere.
B
Yeah. See, I also had no exposure.
A
No exposure.
B
I had not seen boys.
A
Yeah.
B
When I saw them, I was like, oh. You know, wasn't really worth the time. But yeah.
A
Also, college boys are kind of disgusting.
B
I know.
A
It's weird. Weird to sit in the classroom for the first time your freshman year in college and be like, what is that smell? And you're like, oh, it's the boys. That was the part that, like, that's never in the movie.
B
I think they're cool, but they're not as cool. I think. Yeah, they get, they, you know, they mature sort of a bit later.
A
I mean, we love them.
B
Yes.
A
But I was like, you all need to shower more. This, they never talk about this part in the films. Okay. Okay. Yeah, it's so, it's just so funny to me. I love picturing you, like, moving across the rooftops of your dorm with all your friends.
B
I know. And then in college, I also just felt more comfortable in just accepting my emotions and my feelings. So when I saw this mysterious college guy who was very, very handsome, I was like, wow, he's so good looking. And I found out that he was, like, struggling with his essays and he was in trouble all the time and the tutors were not happy with him. So it's like, oh, there a way I can help him? I think maybe he needs my help. And my friends are rolling their eyes. They said, he always gets into trouble. Stay away from him. He might be a drug dealer or something. I was like, no, no, no, I said, you need to like, you know, hear his side of the story. And yeah, so I was, I was there just to like, trying to signal that I'm here to help. But all he wanted was some food from my room. So he would just show up and get some bananas and crisps or whatever he could find. He would not say a single word and then disappear.
A
Interesting.
B
So, yeah, that was like my failed mission.
A
That's okay.
B
But that was more.
A
You gotta kiss a few frogs.
B
Yeah, but that was love in imagination. I would say something that I sort of felt good about because I was feeling something, but that was not real, of course. He was clearly ghosting me and ignoring me. I was refusing to accept the signs. Then he disappeared. But, you know, I, I, I realized that you sort of, you grow so much when you allow these emotions to come out and you, you embrace them. But then, soon after, I met Asar, who is now my husband.
A
Yes. And now a word from our wonderful sponsors. This podcast is sponsored by PayPal okay, let's talk holiday shopping. When you want to make the most of your money, head to the PayPal app before you check out. They give you the flexibility to pay in four no fees, no interest. And this is my favorite part. You can get 5% cash back when you pay later with PayPal. So why not splurge on the people you love? PayPal helps you make the most of your money this holiday. Save the offer in the PayPal app expires 1231. See paypal.com promoterms Subject to approval. Learn more at paypal.com payinforce paypal inc.nmls910457 okay whip smarties let me tell you a brand I adore. Adormi. Whether you're looking for more comfort, more cleavage, or both, Adormi has you covered. Adormi offers tons of sizes with new, thoughtfully designed bras, panties, lingerie, shapewear, sleepwear and swimwear to choose from each month. You can elevate your underwear drawer with high quality sets that won't break the bank. Also, it's so nice to find a silhouette for every occasion with expertly fit bras and shapewear that defy gravity and bold lingerie styles that are just as comfortable as they are sexy. Let me tell you what I'm a fan of the silhouette for every occasion idea, guys, because sometimes you want something beautiful, colorful, satiny, and sometimes you need something that goes full incognito nude, simple T shirt bra. You know what I'm talking about. Whether it's bows or lace or whether it's sleek, undetectable fit and support, Adormi has you covered. And with styles starting as low as $24.95, you can feel confident even if you're on a budget. Head to adore me.com now to shop styles from comfortable to sexy in over 67 sizes. Degree Advanced the world's number one antiperspirant, provides up to 72 hours of protection against sweat and odor that comes with life. Degree is the wake up workout. Antiperspirant the dashing, darting, carpool, honking, get the kids off to school. Antiperspirant the work from home and do the laundry grocery shop on your lunch hour, never take a break. Antiperspirant so do what you need to do, work how you need to work. Sweat moves you forward. Degree is here to make sure it doesn't hold you back. Degree here for sweat At Walgreens, we.
B
Know flu season can feel a little chaotic, so we're going to give you.
A
Our flu info in a Meditation keeping you calm. Just like a certified Walgreens pharmacist will do if you're a little needle nervous. So walk in or schedule an appointment and Walgreens will handle the rest.
B
That that's the human kind of help. Walgreens vaccines subject to availability, state, age.
C
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A
Was it an interesting thing for you meeting your husband and knowing that there was something special in your connection, but also knowing that if he was to be with you, his life would become public in a way. How did you two navigate that?
B
I was not thinking from his perspective at all, even though I should have. So I remember, you know, meeting him for the first time. We went for go karting and I had like a mini accident. I exaggerated it a bit. I was like, I think I had a, a concussion. And he's like, it's okay. Like you're fine. Like you're just being a bit dramatic. But anyway, I just like that he just treated me like a normal person. Then we, you know, we went for a few dinners, then I took him for a movie at a cinema. And I was just telling him like, relax, you know, like just be yourself. Why are you just like so scared and tensed? And he said, you know, you have like two security guards right behind you.
A
Yeah.
B
And I think that they're watching me. So he's like, it's not normal to be dating somebody.
A
Yeah. And he's like, you like feel normal.
B
To tell these like big strong guys like right behind you and watching you. So I was like, okay, fine, like I understand it from your perspective. I, I knew That I loved Asar. I immediately fell in love with him. But I wanted to take my time because I wanted to understand what it means when we make a commitment in our culture. You know, you cannot date a guy technically, and you have to get married if you want to live together. So I said, okay, like, I have to not think about marriage and everything. As a kid, I just hated marriage. I had seen how girls had lost the opportunity to complete their education because they were married off. Marriage was like a boring conversation if you wanted to have a future. Like, put marriage aside, tell your family, I'm not gonna get married. This is what I used to say. And I told all of my friends that, you know, don't get married. And then I. Then I saw this guy, and I was like, oh, my goodness. Like, he's gorgeous, and I want to be with him forever. So I took my time. I did a lot of research. I was just reading books by feminist authors, including bell hooks. And I was having conversations with my mom, with my friends. And then I got to know him more. I asked him all of sometimes, like, silly questions, like, if your wife earns more than you, would you have a problem with that? And he was like, why would I even have a problem with that? I'd be so lucky if she earns more than me. And, you know, we can have a comfortable life. And I was like, okay, okay. You know, good answer.
A
You're like, checkbox on the pro side.
B
Not too bad. And then in the end, you know, when we spent some time together, we were in Lake Placid, and we had shared moments that made me feel that he was the right one. I felt loved when I was with him, and I had prepared, like, a billion questions. But when I was with him, every question just disappeared. I knew he was the one. And. Yeah. Then I decided to marry him. Yeah. And I had told my friends, don't get married at least till you are, like, 35 or something. I was the first one in my friend's group to get married.
A
Oopsies.
B
They were like, it's like you jinxed.
A
Yourself, but in a good way.
B
Yeah. They were like, seriously? Anyway, I love it.
A
Well, the reason that I'm such a fan of your husband, I mean, aside from the fact that he's obviously a lovely person and makes you happy, is that he is also a huge fan of women's sports.
B
Yes.
A
Which really says to me that he's a real one, you know? Cause he's not just like, hey, babe, let's go to an NBA game. He's like, let's go see the New York Liberty when we're in town.
B
Yes.
A
And I love that for him, and I love that for us.
B
He is a big women's sports fan. We both also have started working on a project called Recess, which is to invest in women's sports opportunities. And, you know, I have seen in my work that for us to make a real difference for women and girls, we can't just give them advice and words of inspiration. We have to do real things to create opportunities for them. I tell a girl, believe in yourself. Follow her. Follow your dreams. And they look back and like, sorry, but there are not enough leagues for us, not enough teams for us, not enough opportunities for us. And I'm like, that's a fair response from young people that there's still a lot that needs to be done in all sectors, including sports, where we create equal opportunities for girls, where they can do it. You know, they can treat sports as a hobby, as part of their education, or as their career. Sports should be a career option for girls from any part of the world. So I hope that we can, you know, we can make a difference and we can bring in, you know, our expertise into this. I'm just so excited for the work ahead. And I named it Recess because I think about a school recess time, especially the recess time that I was experiencing when I was a kid in Pakistan, and girls had to stay back in the school on a sports day and boys could go to the local cricket ground. That was the assumption that only boys could go to the cricket ground and girls could not. They had to just be stuck at school. They couldn't play any sports, no way. And I asked my husband, I said, what was your sports day like in Pakistan? He said, yeah, you know, we used to play hockey and then football and then cricket. I was like, so very different experience for boys when it's their recess time, and very different experience for girls when it's their recess time.
A
Yes.
B
Can girls have a different recess time? Yes. If we create opportunities for them, if we start looking at sports from the gender equity lens and make the right decisions and the right shift.
A
Yes.
B
Yes. I think we can make a difference.
A
And they absolutely can if we create it.
B
Yes.
A
And one of the reasons it feels so incredibly important to me, and I'm excited about it. Girls who play sports become leaders. You know, in the US the statistic is that 84% of women who sit in C suites in the highest seats of power in business and entrepreneurship played high school or collegiate sports but we also see that by the age of 13, 50% of girls are dropping out of sport because of access issues or body confidence issues. And so I really think, to your point about gender equity, I think sports and access to sports play, you know, team building, I think that is a real sort of incredible inflection point for us. And I want the girls that we have been beating these doors down as activists for that we're trying to hold them open for. For all these girls to come behind us. I want them to have that access and knowing how important it is for us here. When I think about places around the world, you know, like you said, places you work with your fund, whether it's Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, like, we've got to get girls on the field.
B
Yes. You know, girls deserve to have an opportunity in everything that they dream for themselves. Sports is one of that.
A
Yeah.
B
And I hope that we can make a difference for them.
A
Yeah. It's so exciting. Oh, my God. I can't wait for us to figure out what our first sporting event is. I know we have to go to the game. Have you.
B
Have you seen cricket?
A
I have seen it on tv. I've never seen it live.
B
I think we should go and see a cricket game.
A
Okay.
B
How about that?
A
And we should also go watch some football. But when I say football, I mean real football is soccer, okay?
B
Soccer.
A
Not the backwards thing that us Americans did, which is steal the international word for soccer, and then make football handball.
B
Like, I think America is a topic for another day.
A
I know, but sometimes the interesting name.
B
That you guys can come up with.
A
I don't know why we're like this. It's like our democratic experiment, the core of it is so gorgeous. And then there's just some things in the flywheel that I'm like, we gotta. We gotta be better than this.
B
Yeah.
A
Talking about being better.
B
Yes.
A
Leading with a better vision. Your book. I'm so happy we're in person so I can hold it up to camera. The art is so beautiful. The book is so beautiful.
B
Thank you.
A
I just. I want every. I want everyone, not just every girl or every woman to read this book. I want everyone to read this book. You've talked on this tour. Not to sound like a total creep, but I. I've been paying attention. You've talked on your tour about how the book feels more honest.
B
Yes.
A
And you said something that kills me because I know what you mean, I think.
B
Okay.
A
You said, it's. It's more awkward, more me. And I was like, oh, my God. I Feel like that lately. I feel like I've come to a point where, like, I'm a little more awkward and a little more myself. What does that mean for you? What does this book mean for you?
B
This book is the most personal reflections I have ever shared. And, of course, I was put in the spotlight from a very young age. People have come to know me through headlines and titles that I have received. Even I got to know myself through that. And I was like, okay, you know, maybe this is the life that I have to embrace and internalize. But I realized that there's just so much more to life. I wanted to. To grow into womanhood. I knew that I just cannot be this fixed version that somebody else is expecting of me, or I am under the assumption it's all about perceptions, how we understand or receive these things. That I could not allow myself to be funny again and to feel loved or to make friends. I thought these things are not for me. And I felt that maybe I'm doing a disservice to my role as an activist if I am also exploring, like, you know, who I am as a person. But on this journey, through college, through my years after that, I have grown as a person. I feel that I have more, like, diverse and more rich emotions and feelings. I thought that I survived the Taliban incident and I restarted a new life. And I was so brave to do that. But when I had the panic attack and I relived the whole attack experience, which I thought I didn't remember so much, like, it broke me down, like I could not be the brave self that I thought I was. I was in the dark. I needed my friends to come over to my college room for a sleepover, to help me go, to go to sleep. That's how scary it was. I could not focus on my work. I would call my husband and say, I, I don't know what's happening. You know, at the time, he was not my husband, but I would just call him. I was like, you know, can you. Can you tell me what has happened? And I was like, maybe you have a bit more experience on what these drugs and stuff are like. But in the end, you know, it took me months, it took me years to. To get through it, to find my way through it. And I still do the work that I truly believe in. Even when I have a panic attack, it does not stop me from my activism for Afghan girls. It does not stop me from standing up to the Taliban. And now I think this is true bravery. This is true courage. I, you know, I feel like I am standing up now.
A
Right. I'm standing up now because you're bringing your whole self.
B
Yeah. Yeah.
A
That's really beautiful. I'm so happy for you.
B
Thank you.
A
So, I mean, big moment, you know, this is a big thing to put in the world. It's. It's a big reconstitution and a reclamation, really, of. Of so many parts of yourself that perhaps you didn't think you were allowed to be anymore. There's a lot of work that goes into that. When you look forward, you know, at what's coming or. Or what you're hoping for, what feels like your work in progress.
B
I mean, right now, for me, it's my book tour.
C
Yeah.
A
Literally getting through the calendar.
B
No, I'm actually excited. I'll be going to so many different parts of the world, including in the U.S. i am so excited to try everything local. I mean, the. The Chicago deep dish pizza.
C
Oh.
A
I have a whole list of restaurants.
B
In Chicago and, you know, enjoy the weather in LA and San Francisco. I'm. I'm excited for everything. I can't wait to go to so many parts of the US and meet people and, you know, hopefully, like, talk to people. I. I would love to know how other people are, you know, feeling the. I love talking to young people, how they are defining bravery and courage, how they are navigating their way through challenges in life. So I hope that this helps us start a new conversation. I'm sharing my most personal reflections. I'm reintroducing myself because I want my true self to be out there in the public eye. Yeah. If somebody wants to know me, then this is the true me.
A
Yeah. It's beautiful. Congratulations and thank you for coming.
B
Oh, thank you so much. So wonderful to speak to you and to be on your podcast.
A
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This is an iHeart podcast.
Episode: Malala Yousafzai
Date: November 12, 2025
Podcast Host: Sophia Bush
Guest: Malala Yousafzai
In this deeply personal and engaging episode, Sophia Bush sits down with Malala Yousafzai, global education advocate and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Together, they explore Malala’s journey from her childhood in Pakistan under Taliban rule, through surviving an assassination attempt, to her ongoing struggles and triumphs as an activist, student, and young woman finding her way in the world. The conversation is candid, touching on trauma, healing, friendship, identity, joy, and the ongoing fight for girls’ education and empowerment.
“Oftentimes it’s the men who clip the wings of their daughters… My dad is asked what he did for his daughter. He says, ‘Don’t ask me what I did, ask me what I didn’t do. I didn’t clip her wings.’” – Malala (14:10)
“I was more scared of a life without education. That future was dark.” (16:23)
“I always associated my recovery with the physical injuries. And once the surgery was done, I said, I am fully recovered… But this was that open wound.” (21:36)
“Now I embrace therapy as part of my journey… I realized I need it more.” (27:55)
“I would not be able to deliver my best on the things that I care about if I do not look after myself.” (31:07)
“When an Afghan girl has not seen a classroom for four and a half years, it breaks my heart... These words [equity, feminism] mean nothing if we cannot act.” (44:41)
“Maybe we thought one accomplishment… that the job is done. No. We need… a lasting change.” (47:08)
“If your wife earns more than you, would you have a problem with that?” – Malala (60:37)
“When I was with him, every question just disappeared. I knew he was the one.” (61:08)
“Sports should be a career option for girls from any part of the world.” (62:31)
“Even when I have a panic attack, it does not stop me from my activism. Now I think this is true bravery.” (69:32)
On Men as Allies:
“Don’t ask me what I did, ask me what I didn’t do. I didn’t clip her wings.” – Malala (quoting her father) (14:10)
On Roots of Activism:
“I was more scared of a life without education. That future was dark.” – Malala (16:23)
On True Healing:
“This was that open wound that we did not heal.” – Malala (21:36)
On the Ongoing Fight:
“When I witness the reality of how a girl, like, in 2025 in Afghanistan is banned from education… it is frightening that still we have to defend it.” – Malala (45:29)
On Public Expectations:
“Somehow now I’m supposed to be… this grown, saintly kind of activist who has to meet this expectation of, like, being the same person. She cannot learn about herself... she has to be this fixed version of herself now.” – Malala (35:35)
On Rediscovering Joy:
“I wanted to do all of that because just that normal life of a college girl… was something I had missed.” – Malala (49:18)
On Vulnerability:
“Even when I have a panic attack, it does not stop me from my activism… Now I think this is true bravery. This is true courage.” – Malala (69:32)
| Time | Discussion Segment | |-------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 05:40 | Introduction of Malala, reflection on childhood and activism origins | | 07:26 | Memories of Swat Valley before & after Taliban | | 12:23 | Family conversations about oppression & role of Islam | | 16:20 | Why she chose activism at risk of her own life | | 18:56 | On surviving the Taliban attack and journey to mental healing | | 27:55 | Embracing therapy and ongoing mental health practices | | 35:16 | Struggles with loss of normal teenage years | | 44:03 | Reflection on global regressions in women’s rights; call for lasting change | | 49:18 | College life, friendships, and learning to “just be a girl” again | | 53:36 | College romance and finding herself | | 62:31 | Discussion of Project Recess and empowering girls in sports | | 67:12 | Writing her new book and embracing personal awkwardness | | 70:29 | Looking forward: Book tour, meeting young people, and being her authentic self |
The conversation is warm, candid, and occasionally irreverent—Malala and Sophia blend humor, vulnerability, and seriousness. Malala’s reflections are honest and relatable, revealing a multidimensional woman behind the global icon.
This episode offers an intimate look into Malala Yousafzai’s inner life—her fears, hopes, and hard-won joy. It challenges listeners to reconsider what true bravery and activism look like, and how self-care and authenticity are essential to meaningful progress. Malala’s new book and ongoing activism invite everyone—not just girls—to join her in pursuing equity, healing, and possibility.