Malala thanks Sheikh Khalifa for his support during her ordeal

Pakistani girl shot by Taliban for campaigning for education thanked Sheikh Khalifa for his support during her ordeal.

Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban in 2012 for campaigning for the right to attend school, has thanked the President, Sheikh Khalifa, for his support during her ordeal.

“I was lucky to have the support of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan,” Malala said in her visit to the Al Ru’ya Centre, an affiliate of the General Women’s Union (GWU).

She also praised Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, who has played a central role in the advancement of gender equality and the role of women in the UAE. Sheikha Fatima is the widow of the UAE’s founding President, Sheikh Zayed, and the head of the GWU and Family Development Foundation.

Malala was all praise for the union’s role in supporting women. The vocal advocate of young women’s right to education said she admired the educational achievements of Emirati women.

Reem Abdullah Eisa Al Falasi, the secretary general of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, welcomed Malala and briefed her on some of the union’s programmes.

Malala said Sheikha Fatima stressed the importance of education in empowering women during their meeting, as well as the need to support women’s aspirations while fostering stable families in the UAE.

The Pakistani activist, now 16, also thanked Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, for supporting her after her ordeal, facilitating her medical treatment in London and during her recovery.