thesis in malala speech

57 Rhetorical Analysis 1 – “Use of Rhetoric in Malala Yousafzai’s Nobel Peace Lecture”

Use of rhetoric in malala yousafzai’s nobel peace lecture.

“I am Malala. But I am also Shazia. I am Kainat. I am Kainat Soomro. I am Amina,” Malala Yousafzai said at age 17 to a crowd at the event in which she and fellow children’s education rights activist, Kailash Satyarthi, were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize (Yousafzai). In a metaphorical and literal way, Malala Yousafzai is everyone she mentions as well as herself because she is their voice: a voice that amplifies individual children’s thoughts to the world. The power of Yousafzai’s voice is evident through her use of rhetorical devices such as anadiplosis, anastrophe, antithesis, aposiopesis, and anaphora. These devices uplift and bring fervor to her 2014 Nobel Peace Prize lecture Rhetorical devices are known for providing speeches with qualities that draw attention from the audience or reach them in a way speeches void of these techniques do not. The use of rhetoric comes from a background of developing strong speaking skills for the purpose of influence in civics. Following that, the art of rhetoric became a commonality among universities in the Medieval and Renaissance Ages (“Rhetoric”). People use rhetoric in both speaking and writing today for similar purposes. Yousafzai achieves the greatness of her speech through her masterful use of rhetorical devices throughout it.

The occasion of Yousafzai’s lecture is that of a Nobel Peace Prize acceptance ceremony. Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi were declared winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for “their [international] struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education” (“Malala Yousafzai – Facts”). Yousafzai delivered her lecture on the tenth of December 2014 at the Oslo City Hall, Norway. She was introduced by Thorbjörn Jagland, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee before prompted to begin her performance. The social climate was that characteristic of 2014. The attendees to the lecture included “members of the Norwegian royal family, and perhaps members of royal families from other countries, as well as those who have chosen her for the award,” her family, friends, supporters, and teachers (“Audience”). Malala Yousafzai begins her address in the name of God, and addresses those granting her the prize: “Today is a day of great happiness for me. I am humbled” (Yousafzai). Emphasizing this feeling of being “humbled,” she thanks those who have helped her to this moment, including a special note to her parents and teachers.  Yousafzai recognizes that she has not received this award alone, but with Kailash Satyarthi. She says she is proud of what they have done, and what they vow to accomplish.

She uses her name as an icebreaker and proceeds to speak on who she is here for and why. In every corner of the world, education is a blessing and a necessity. Yousafzai explains how she and her friends got involved in their desire for education, believing they could do anything others thought only boys could, and how the ability to pursue that was revoked from them. In her speech, she emphasizes how this was a collective struggle: education has been denied to others; their home was a beautiful place, now reduced to a wasteland by war. Terrorists attacked her school bus, but their goal was ill achieved. Yousafzai and her brave sisters have not stopped learning or living. Facing these struggles, Yousafzai cites the Holy Quran to emphasize why injustice to some is a threat to the global community, quoting the passage, “do you not know, if you kill one person, you kill a whole humanity?” (Yousafzai).  In the same way, one person can stand up for all of humanity. Yousafzai made a choice. She chose to speak up rather than be silent. She and others could not stand by in the face of injustice. She represents these girls and children and their right to education. Why shouldn’t they have it?

Yousafzai points out that there have been many improvements already in education, then speaks on bureaucracy and demands further change in action for the bettering of quality worldwide education. She uses the rhetorical device of anadiplosis to emphasize that the struggle for education is ongoing. Anadiplosis is “the rhetorical repetition of one or several words; specifically, the repetition of a word that ends one clause at the beginning of the next” (“Glossary of Rhetorical Terms”). This device is used to link ideas together, and is described as when “the second clause starts with the same word which marks the end of the previous clause” (“Anadiplosis”). Yousafzai uses this rhetorical device when she states, “I will continue this fight until I see every child, every child — in school,” and also where she says, “And as I said we still see, we still see girls who have no freedom to go to school in the north of Nigeria” (Yousafzai). This form of repetition, using anadiplosis to link one clause to the next, emphasizes continuity over time. In doing so, Yousafzai shows the need for continued action in this cause.

Not much later in this Nobel Peace Prize lecture, Yousafzai uses anastrophe. Anastrophe, the transposition of normal word order, is important here because the speech is nearing its end (“Glossary of Rhetorical Terms”). She says, “Me. You. We. It is our duty” (Yousafzai). Yousafzai draws the audience’s attention through this uncommon word order. This technique has the potential to leave the listeners of her speech with a clear goal: to decide to act as Yousafzai and others have. Yousafzai’s distinct performance of this device, with pauses that imply the existence of full stops, catches the audience’s attention and prepares them to receive the unique delivery of her next sentence.

Yousafzai’s bold use of antithesis in this next line emphasizes the next sentence’s verbs: ‘becoming’ the first and ‘letting’ this be the last time. She declares, “Let us become the first generation that decides to be the last that sees empty classrooms, lost childhoods and wasted potentials” (Yousafzai). Antithesis is defined as “opposition, or contrast of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction” by the “Glossary of Rhetorical Terms” (“Glossary of Rhetorical Terms”). With a strong antonymic relationship, “first” and “last” are words that could hardly have more contrast. Yousafzai put a heavy emphasis on the end of her speech by using antithesis, and she goes on to use phrases with antithetical pairings such as ‘girl or boy,’ and ‘begin this ending.’ She continues with this pattern of pairings in phrases such as ‘years ago’ and ‘soon,’ along with “sisters and brothers, dear fellow children” (Yousafzai). With these numerous pairs of words using antithesis, Yousafzai puts emphasis on the end of her speech especially. With so many pairs of words representing the device called antithesis, most people who have listened to this lecture must have walked away with Yousafzai’s final words lingering, resonating in their minds. Both antithesis and aposiopesis are devices that encourage a magnified response of empathy and sympathy to the speaker’s cause of address, and encourage readers to notice the atmosphere this emphasis creates.

Aposiopesis is defined by the pausing or abrupt ellipses of or in speaking where the speaker is seemingly unable to continue due to the presence of passion (“Glossary of Rhetorical Terms”). Malala Yousafzai’s speech includes many examples of this device. She says once, “I’m proud — that we can work together,” and it is evident that in saying this she takes an aposiopesis pause which emphasizes her emotion. There is also aposiopesis when she says, “I want — there to be peace everywhere,” in which case the pause both catches the listeners’ attention and additionally demonstrates her passion for peace. Listeners may notice her use of aposiopesis again when she says “The first place this funding will go to is where my heart is, to build schools in Pakistan — especially in my home of Swat and Shangla,” and when she speaks of officials who already incorporate quality education into their kids lives but not the general public’s. Both these uses of the technique call attention to her passion and care for her home and for her cause. As she begins her lecture’s conclusion, she uses aposiopesis again, adding emotional pauses to her sequence of repeated phrases: “Let this be the last time — that… let this be the last time — that…  let this be the last time — that . . . let this be the last time —” (Yousafzai). One may notice that there is another pattern in this section, a repeated phrase.

The name of this rhetorical device is anaphora. Anaphora, according to Essential Literary Terms, “is the intentional repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines, stanzas, sentences, or paragraphs” (Hamilton 69). This is not the subtle kind of repetition seen in other devices like assonance, so the “pleasure of recognition” may or may not be Yousafzai’s purpose of using this device (“Assonance”). It most certainly does draw attention to the speaker and puts an emphasis on the words repeated. Yousafzai uses assonance at the very start of her lecture in giving thanks, thanking each individual or group beginning with the same, repetitious ‘thank you to.’ She utilizes it in the phrases, “it is for those . . . children,” then using ‘we,’ and on another occasion ‘we see.’ The anaphora in the conclusion of her lecture, repeating “let this be the last time,” emphasizes her call to action and helps make her claims more memorable to the listeners.

Yousafzai began her lecture with a sentence listing the many names of other children for whom she speaks; she returns to that message later in her speech, saying,  “This award is not just for me — it is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children — who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change” (Yousafzai). The way she states these sentences combines the emotional pauses of aposiopesis with the repeated words at the beginning of successive phrases of anaphora (“Anaphora”). Yousafzai reiterates her commitment to amplifying the voices of the voiceless when she says “I am here to stand up for their rights, to raise their voice” (Yousafzai). In this active sentence, she uses asyndeton, which is a lack of conjunctions between coordinating phrases, clauses, or words. In this case asyndeton is utilized to place more emphasis on the verbs and objects of the sentence by removing the conjunction and its distracting continuance (“Glossary of Rhetorical Terms”). This shows that the main five rhetorical devices, anadiplosis, anastrophe, antithesis, aposiopesis, and assonance are not the only ones in this lecture. Yousafzai expertly combines careful rhetorical choices for the delivery of her passionate content to emphasize the purpose and impact of her lecture. To the listener, a considerable number of sections in this speech stand out from the others. The emphasis and efficacy of her Nobel Peace Prize lecture is in respective part due to the rhetorical devices Malala Yousafzai chose to use.

Works Cited

“Anadiplosis.” Literary Devices . 22 Oct. 2013, literarydevices.net/anadiplosis/. Accessed 25 Oct. 2022.

“Anaphora.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, 2022. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anaphora. Accessed 28 Oct. 2022.

“Anastrophe.” Changing Minds. changingminds.org/techniques/language/figures_speech/anastrophe.htm. Accessed 28 Oct. 2022.

“Assonance.” Changing Minds. changingminds.org/techniques/language/figures_speech/assonance.htm. Accessed 28 Oct. 2022.

“Audience of Malala Yousafzai’s Nobel Peace Prize Speech.” Studienet . studienet.dk/malala-yousafzai-nobel-speech/analysis/audience. Accessed 25 Oct. 2022.

“Glossary of Rhetorical Terms.” University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences. https://mcl.as.uky.edu/glossary-rhetorical-terms. Accessed 25 Oct. 2022.

Hamilton, Sharon. Essential Literary Terms . 2nd ed., Norton, 2017.

“Malala Yousafzai – Facts.” NobelPrize.org , Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2022. Sat. 29 Oct 2022. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2014/yousafzai/facts/.

“Rhetoric.” Funk & Wagnall’s New Encyclopedia . 5th ed, 1991.

Yousafzai, Malala. “Malala Yousafzai: Nobel Peace Prize Lecture 2014.” YouTube , uploaded by Nobel Prize, 9 Jan. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2DHzlkUI6s.

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name: V Ware

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Malala Yousafzai: 'Our books and our pens are the most powerful weapons'

This is a transcription of the speech that Malala Yousafzai gave to the United Nations on 12 July 2013, the date of her 16th birthday and " Malala Day " at the UN.

In the name of God, the most beneficent, the most merciful.

Honorable UN Secretary General Mr Ban Ki-moon, respected president of the General Assembly Vuk Jeremic, honorable UN envoy for global education Mr Gordon Brown, respected elders and my dear brothers and sisters: Assalamu alaikum.

Today is it an honor for me to be speaking again after a long time. Being here with such honorable people is a great moment in my life and it is an honor for me that today I am wearing a shawl of the late Benazir Bhutto. I don't know where to begin my speech. I don't know what people would be expecting me to say, but first of all thank you to God for whom we all are equal and thank you to every person who has prayed for my fast recovery and new life. I cannot believe how much love people have shown me. I have received thousands of good wish cards and gifts from all over the world. Thank you to all of them. Thank you to the children whose innocent words encouraged me. Thank you to my elders whose prayers strengthened me. I would like to thank my nurses, doctors and the staff of the hospitals in Pakistan and the UK and the UAE government who have helped me to get better and recover my strength.

I fully support UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in his Global Education First Initiative and the work of UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown and the respectful president of the UN General Assembly Vuk Jeremic. I thank them for the leadership they continue to give. They continue to inspire all of us to action. Dear brothers and sisters, do remember one thing: Malala Day is not my day. Today is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights.

There are hundreds of human rights activists and social workers who are not only speaking for their rights, but who are struggling to achieve their goal of peace, education and equality. Thousands of people have been killed by the terrorists and millions have been injured. I am just one of them. So here I stand. So here I stand, one girl, among many. I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to live in peace. Their right to be treated with dignity. Their right to equality of opportunity. Their right to be educated.

Dear friends, on 9 October 2012, the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead. They shot my friends, too. They thought that the bullets would silence us, but they failed. And out of that silence came thousands of voices. The terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions. But nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born.

I am the same Malala. My ambitions are the same. My hopes are the same. And my dreams are the same. Dear sisters and brothers, I am not against anyone. Neither am I here to speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban or any other terrorist group. I am here to speak for the right of education for every child. I want education for the sons and daughters of the Taliban and all the terrorists and extremists. I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there was a gun in my hand and he was standing in front of me, I would not shoot him. This is the compassion I have learned from Mohammed, the prophet of mercy, Jesus Christ and Lord Buddha. This the legacy of change I have inherited from Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

This is the philosophy of nonviolence that I have learned from Gandhi, Bacha Khan and Mother Teresa. And this is the forgiveness that I have learned from my father and from my mother. This is what my soul is telling me: be peaceful and love everyone.

Dear sisters and brothers, we realize the importance of light when we see darkness. We realize the importance of our voice when we are silenced. In the same way, when we were in Swat, the north of Pakistan, we realized the importance of pens and books when we saw the guns. The wise saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword." It is true. The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women. The power of the voice of women frightens them. This is why they killed 14 innocent students in the recent attack in Quetta. And that is why they kill female teachers. That is why they are blasting schools every day because they were and they are afraid of change and equality that we will bring to our society. And I remember that there was a boy in our school who was asked by a journalist why are the Taliban against education? He answered very simply by pointing to his book, he said, "a Talib doesn't know what is written inside this book."

They think that God is a tiny, little conservative being who would point guns at people's heads just for going to school. These terrorists are misusing the name of Islam for their own personal benefit. Pakistan is a peace loving, democratic country. Pashtuns want education for their daughters and sons. Islam is a religion of peace, humanity and brotherhood. It is the duty and responsibility to get education for each child, that is what it says. Peace is a necessity for education. In many parts of the world, especially Pakistan and Afghanistan, terrorism, war and conflicts stop children from going to schools. We are really tired of these wars. Women and children are suffering in many ways in many parts of the world.

In India, innocent and poor children are victims of child labor. Many schools have been destroyed in Nigeria. People in Afghanistan have been affected by extremism. Young girls have to do domestic child labor and are forced to get married at an early age. Poverty, ignorance, injustice, racism and the deprivation of basic rights are the main problems, faced by both men and women.

Today I am focusing on women's rights and girls' education because they are suffering the most. There was a time when women activists asked men to stand up for their rights. But this time we will do it by ourselves. I am not telling men to step away from speaking for women's rights, but I am focusing on women to be independent and fight for themselves. So dear sisters and brothers, now it's time to speak up. So today, we call upon the world leaders to change their strategic policies in favor of peace and prosperity. We call upon the world leaders that all of these deals must protect women and children's rights. A deal that goes against the rights of women is unacceptable.

We call upon all governments to ensure free, compulsory education all over the world for every child. We call upon all the governments to fight against terrorism and violence. To protect children from brutality and harm. We call upon the developed nations to support the expansion of education opportunities for girls in the developing world. We call upon all communities to be tolerant, to reject prejudice based on caste, creed, sect, color, religion or agenda to ensure freedom and equality for women so they can flourish. We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. We call upon our sisters around the world to be brave, to embrace the strength within themselves and realize their full potential.

Dear brothers and sisters, we want schools and education for every child's bright future. We will continue our journey to our destination of peace and education. No one can stop us. We will speak up for our rights and we will bring change to our voice. We believe in the power and the strength of our words. Our words can change the whole world because we ware all together, united for the cause of education. And if we want to achieve our goal, then let us empower ourselves with the weapon of knowledge and let us shield ourselves with unity and togetherness.

Dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget that millions of people are suffering from poverty and injustice and ignorance. We must not forget that millions of children are out of their schools. We must not forget that our sisters and brothers are waiting for a bright, peaceful future.

So let us wage, so let us wage a glorious struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism, let us pick up our books and our pens, they are the most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first. Thank you.

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Transitivity analysis of malala yousafzai’s nobel peace prize speech for the subject of discourse analysis

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani education activist. In 2014, she was the co-recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize and Kailash Satyarthi of India. Malala’s motivational speech and her contribution to education and feminism motivated the researcher to analyze the ideational meanings realized in Malala’s speech to determine the distribution of the transitivity process in Malala’s Nobel Peace Prize speech and its contribution to Discourse Analysis subject. The researcher used a Qualitative Descriptive research design in this study. In analyzing the data, the researcher adopted Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) by Halliday. The researcher found out that there are six processes in this speech. They are material 42%, relational 27%, mental 20%, verbal 6%, behavioral 4%, and existential 1%. Material, Relational, and Mental Process are the most frequently occurred in Malala Yousafzai’s speech. Material processes were the most dominant process in the corpus. Material process as the most fre...

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Malala Yousafzai: Speech to United Nations Security Council

Photo courtesy of Carine Umuhumuza.

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Mr. President, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for the opportunity to address the Security Council as you consider the urgent situation in Afghanistan. I am grateful to the presidency for prioritising education in this critical moment for Afghan girls.

​​I do not speak on behalf of Afghan girls and women today. As you’ve heard from Wazhma Frogh, women and girls in Afghanistan are speaking out for themselves.

But I do want to remind you what life is like for a girl living under extremism and terrorism.


I heard bombs, gunfire and explosions. My brothers and I ran into our parents’ arms for protection. I was 10 years old.

I saw banners on shopping malls announcing women were not allowed. I saw notices on school gates declaring girls were prohibited. I saw women flogged in the streets. I was 11 years old.

I saw my home transformed from a place of peace to a place of fear in just three years. I saw thousands of displaced people. I saw homes and schools destroyed. I was 12 years old.

I saw injustice and I raised my voice for every girl’s right to go to school. I saw a gunman stop my school bus, call my name and fire a bullet at me. I was 15 years old.

Now I am 24. I carry scars of six surgeries to repair the damage of that one bullet.

This is a story that many Afghan girls may share if we do not act. Here are some of the stories we are already hearing:

Roshan, a female teacher and the sole breadwinner for her family, has been told not to come to work anymore. She is now without an income — and no longer able to do the job that she loves.

Aaria, an 11-year-old student, is worried that she may not be able to return to school or pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer. Her thoughts have turned to how she can help her father provide for the family. Afghan women are demanding the right to choose their own future. In Kabul, their protests were met with tear gas, rifle butts and metal clubs.

I’ve had the privilege of working with many Afghan educators and advocates who have spent the last two decades rebuilding an education system from scratch. Because of their efforts, 39% of children attending school in Afghanistan last year were girls.

Now that progress — and those girls’ futures — are under threat. Our partners tell us that the doors to secondary schools in Afghanistan have been shut. Teachers and students have been told to wait at home. Many female teachers have been told that they no longer have jobs because they are barred from teaching boys.

Mr. President, international human rights law guarantees girls’ right to an education.

But it is not only an issue for individual rights. Girls’ education is a powerful tool for building peace and security — and I urge the Security Council to recognise it as such.

When girls go to school, countries are able to recover from conflict more quickly once peace is established. Educating girls helps create stability and binds communities. People with more years of education tend to coexist in harmony and peace.

But we also know that when girls receive an equitable and inclusive education, it also helps prevent conflict. In some countries, doubling the percentage of students finishing secondary school have halved the risk of conflict.

Mr. President, the U.N. and its members must remember their commitment to the protection of the “dignity and worth of the human person.”

We must support education for Afghan girls because it is their human right. And because it is vital to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.

So today, I am here to call on the Security Council to protect Afghan girls and women and the future of this nation in four ways:

First, send a clear and unequivocal message to the Taliban that a fundamental condition of any working relationship is upholding girls’ right to education in accordance with international treaties and conventions.

Statements are not sufficient. The Taliban government must guarantee and protect the rights of women and girls.

Second, build upon Security Council resolution 2593 by supporting a robust monitoring mechanism to track and monitor abuses of human rights in Afghanistan — including a specific focus on girls’ education. I echo a call made by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights for Muslim-majority countries to share how they successfully implemented international human rights norms in their cultural and religious contexts.

Third, put resolution 2593 into action with a significant increase in humanitarian and development assistance to the U.N. and international organisations to ensure all schools can open and operate safely.

Right now the people of Afghanistan are facing a political crisis, a months-long drought and COVID-19.

The Council must support additional assistance to neighbouring countries and help provide education for refugee children. I urge the leaders at Monday's emergency aid conference to agree to a generous financing package to ensure all Afghan children can return to school as soon as possible.

Finally, the U.N. presence in every region of Afghanistan is needed more than ever. To do this, a strengthened mandate and resources for the U.N. Assistance Mission and other U.N. agencies in Afghanistan are essential.

Mr. President, a united Security Council — speaking with one voice for girls' education — can compel the Taliban to make real concessions. This is vital not only for Afghan women and girls themselves, but for long-term security in the region and our world.

I hope and trust that the Security Council will stand with the girls and women of Afghanistan.

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist, student, UN messenger of peace and the youngest Nobel Laureate. As co-founder of Malala Fund, she is building a world where every girl can learn and lead without fear.

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• Feb 1, 2023

Malala Yousafzai as a Speaker: An Analysis of Pathos, Logos, and Ethos

About Malala Yousefzai

Malala Yousafzai (25) is known for human rights advocacy, especially the education of women and children in her native homeland, she has become Pakistan's most prominent citizen. Awarded when she was 17, she is the world's youngest Nobel Prize laureate, and the second Pakistani, and the first Pashtun to receive a Nobel prize.

Malala Yousefzai's Speech

She wrote a speech a transcript of which can be found here . Below is a short analysis of this speech and the tactics used to make it so compelling. We will also provide the video for your reference.

The speech occurs after Yousafzai, and two other girls were shot by a Taliban gunman in an assassination attempt in retaliation for her activism; the gunman fled the scene. Yousafzai was hit in the head with a bullet and remained unconscious and in critical condition

An Analysis of Malala Yusefzai's Speech

I’m sure most people have heard of the Ethos Logos and Pathos of an argument, but Yousafzai really hammers those key points in the speech. In this section, I will break down how she makes great use of each and explain why it is so effective in speech

The most difficult challenge any speaker faces is to establish their ethos, their credibility. For this speech, the audience already has some notion of her Ethos, she is a renowned activist but in order to really support her claim she wears the shawl of a previous Pakistani Prime Minister, someone who was also responsible for women's rights activism. She makes use of this by saying:

“….it is an honor for me that today I am wearing a shawl of the late Benazir Bhutto.”

This allows her to connect immediately with her message and build upon her own authority based on the information and respect of previous activists. Malala Yousufzai shares similarities with Benazir Bhutto having also been attacked and assassinated by religious terrorists. She continues this trend by repeatedly invoking characters that have influenced her including but not limited to Mother Teresa, Gandhi, religious figures, and Martin Luther King Jr..

She also invokes sympathy and credibility by the frame of her argument. She begins the speech with a precession of thank you’s:

“Thank you to all of them. Thank you to the children whose innocent words encouraged me. Thank you to my elders whose prayers strengthened me. I would like to thank my nurses, doctors and the staff of the hospitals in Pakistan and the UK and the UAE government who have helped me to get better and recover my strength”

Giving thank yous is always a good tact to garner goodwill since it shows appreciation and conveys gratitude. Her thank yous also reach the larger audience and really detach her speech from her own desires and instead molds it into a defense for others. \

Logos is the logic of a speech; it’s an argument. Often the most lengthy and compact so I will try to hit the most valuable points in her speech.

To begin we must identify what it is she wants, which is easy to find. She repeats she wants “the right to be educated”, particularly for children and young girls. Her speech does two things, it implores nations with the capacity for change to help. While also invalidating terrorists and their ideological standing. She says

“They think that God is a tiny, little conservative being who would point guns at people’s heads just for going to school. These terrorists are misusing the name of Islam for their own personal benefit”.

Obviously, the quote is a slight, threatening both the religious validity and motive of the extremists. She also later insults terrorists by say this:

“The wise saying, ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’. It is true. The extremists are afraid of pens and books. The power of education frightens them.”

Here, the well-known commonplace “The pen is mightier than the sword” is used to move the argument to its next stage: Extremists are afraid of education. The technique used combines a widely accepted commonplace or maxim that adds weight to an argument built upon it.

The anecdote also hints that the illiterate are more likely to become Taliban. For Yousafzai the true weapon against the terrorist, the way to win the war against the future Talib is to teach the children to read.

Finally, pathos is the hardest augmentative tool to use properly, especially when analyzing a transcript. However, a good way to evoke sympathy or empathy is to align someone with your argument.

Yousafzai does this by addressing the room as “Dear sisters and brothers” and the terrorists and extremists as they or them. Uniting the room and those listening as one body and goal with a clear opposition force. Framing the issue of education as one of peace and war with the lines already drawn. For her, the goal is “to protect children from brutality and harm”. Finally, when calling for change she uses almost exclusive “we” language. Once again drawing that distinction of sides but also as a tool to encourage those who are fighting for their rights and to galvanize those still on the fence.

Malala Yousefzai as a Speaker: Conclusion

Most have heard of Malala Yousafzai, but now understanding how and why she says what she does hopefully illuminates the core of her arguments and the validity of her statements. Her strategies of using audience-inclusive language, moral framing of actions, and shows of gratitude are all effective ways to become more compelling as a speaker. Using the information I've presented, I hope that you can apply this in your own speaking ventures and become the best public speaker you can be!

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Malala Yousafzai Nobel Peace Prize Speech Transcript

In 2014 Malala Yousafzai gave her Nobel Peace Prize lecture. Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani education activist and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate. Read her full speech transcript here.

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Malala Yousafzai: ( 00:05 ) Bismillah hir rahman ir rahim. In the name of God, the most merciful, the most beneficent. Your majesties, your royal highnesses, distinguished members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, dear sisters and brothers today is a day of great happiness for me. I’m humbled that the Nobel Committee has selected me for this precious award. Thank you to everyone for your continued support and love. Thank you for the letters and cards that I still receive from all around the world. Your kind and encouraging words strengthens and inspires me. I’d like to thank my parents for their unconditional love. Thank you to my father for not clipping my wings and for letting me fly.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 01:30 ) Thank you to my mother for inspiring me to be patient and to always speak the truth, which we strongly believe is the true message of Islam. And also, thank you to all my wonderful teachers who inspired me to believe in myself and be brave. I’m proud. Well, in fact, I’m very proud to be the first Pashtun, the first Pakistani, and the youngest person to receive this award.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 02:34 ) Along with that, along with that I’m pretty certain that I’m also the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize who still fights with her younger brothers. I want there to be peace everywhere, but my brothers and I are still working on that. I’m also honored to receive this award together with Kailash Satyarthi, who has been a champion for children’s rights for a long time, twice as long, in fact, than I have been alive. I’m proud that we can walk together. We can walk together and show the world that an Indian and a Pakistani, they can work together and achieve their goals of children’s rights.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 03:49 ) Dear brothers and sisters, I was named after the inspirational Malalai of Maiwand, who is the Pashtun Joan of arc. The word Malala means grief-stricken, sad, but in order to lend some happiness to it, my grandfather would always call me Malala, the happiest girl in the world and today, I’m very happy that we are together fighting for an important cause. This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change. I’m here to stand up for their rights, to raise their voice. It is not time to pity them. It is not time to pity them. It is time to take action, so it becomes the last time, the last time, so it becomes the last time that we see a child deprived of education.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 05:28 ) I have found that people describe me in many different ways. Some people call me the girl who was shot by the Taliban, and some the girl who fought for her rights. Some people call me a Nobel Laureate now. However, my brothers still call me that annoying bossy sister. As far as I know, I’m just a committed and even stubborn person who wants to see every child getting quality education, who wants to see women having equal rights, and who wants peace in every corner of the world.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 06:51 ) Education is one of the blessings of life and one of its necessities. That has been my experience during the 17 years of my life. In my paradise home, Swat, I always loved learning and discovering new things. I remember when my friends and I would decorate our hands with henna on special occasions and instead of drawing flowers and patterns, we would paint our hands with mathematical formulas and equations. We had a thirst for education. We had a thirst for education because our future was right there in that classroom. We would sit, and learn, and read together. We loved to wear neat and tidy school uniforms and we would sit there with big dreams in our eyes. We wanted to make our parents proud and prove that we could also excel in our studies and achieve those goals, which some people think only boys can.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 08:20 ) But things did not remain the same. When I was in Swat, which was a place of tourism and beauty suddenly changed into a place of terrorism, I was just 10 that more than 400 schools were destroyed. Women were flogged. People were killed. And our beautiful dreams turned into nightmares. Education went from being a right to being a crime. Girls were stopped from going to school. When my world suddenly changed, my priorities changed too. I had two options. One was to remain silent and wait to be killed. And the second was to speak up and then be killed. I chose the second one. I decided to speak up.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 10:02 ) We could not just stand by and see those injustices of the terrorists denying our rights, ruthlessly killing people, and misusing the name of Islam. We decided to raise our voice and tell them, “Have you not learnt, have you not learnt that in the Holy Quran Allah says if you kill one person it is as if you kill the whole humanity? Do you not know that Mohammad, peace be upon him, the prophet of mercy, he says, do not harm yourself or others. And do you not know that the very first word of the Holy Quran is the word Iqra, which means read?” The terrorists tried to stop us and attacked me and my friends who are here today on our school bus in 2012, but neither their ideas, nor their bullets could win. We survived. And since that day, our voices have grown louder and louder.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 11:25 ) I tell my story, not because it is unique, but because it is not. It is the story of many girls. Today, I tell their stories too. I have brought with me some of my sisters from Pakistan, from Nigeria, and from Syria who share this story. My brave sisters, Shazia and Kainat, who were also shot the day on our school bus, but they have not stopped learning. And my brave sister, Kainat Soomro, who went through severe abuse and extreme violence, even her brother was killed, but she did not succumb. Also my sisters here, whom I have met during my Malala Fund Campaign. My 16 year old courageous sister, Mezon from Syria, who now lives in Jordan as a refugee and she goes from tent to tent encouraging girls and boys to learn. And my sister, Amina from the north of Nigeria, where Boko Haram threatens, and stops girls, and even kidnaps girls just for wanting to go to school.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 13:27 ) Though I appear as one girl, though I appear as one girl, one person, who is five foot, two inches tall if you include my high heels. It means I’m five foot only. I am not a lone voice. I’m not a lone voice. I am many. I am Malala. But I’m also Shazia. I’m Kainat. I’m Kainat Soomro. I am Mezon. I am Amina. I am those 66 million girls who are deprived of education. And today, I’m not raising my voice. It is the voice of those 66 million girls.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 14:59 ) Sometimes people like to ask me, “Why should girls go to school? Why is it important for them?” But I think the more important question is why shouldn’t they? Why shouldn’t they have this right to go to school? Dear brothers and sisters, today, in half of the world, we see rapid progress and development. However, there are many countries where millions still suffer from the very old problems of war, poverty, and injustice. We still see conflicts in which innocent people lose their lives and children become orphans. We see many people becoming refugees in Syria, Gaza, and Iraq. In Afghanistan, we see families being killed in suicide attacks and bomb blasts. Many children in Africa do not have access to education because of poverty. And as I said, we still see, we still see girls who have no freedom to go to school in the north of Nigeria.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 16:39 ) Many children in countries like Pakistan and India, as Kailash Satyarthi mentioned, many children, especially in India and Pakistan are deprived of their right to education because of social taboos or they have been forced into child marriage or into child labor. One of my very good school friends, the same age as me, who has always been a bold and confident girl, dreamed of becoming a doctor, but her dream remained a dream. At the age of 12, she was forced to get married. And then soon she had a son. She had a child when she herself was a child, only 14. I know that she could have been a very good doctor, but she couldn’t because she was a girl. Her story is why I dedicate the Nobel Peace Prize money to the Malala Fund, to help give girls quality education everywhere, anywhere in the world, and to raise their voices. The first place this funding will go to is where my heart is, to build schools in Pakistan, especially in my home of Swat and Shangla.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 18:27 ) In my own village, there is still no secondary school for girls. And it is my wish, and my commitment, and now my challenge to build one so that my friends and my sisters can go there to school and get quality education and they get this opportunity to fulfill their dreams. This is where I will begin, but it is not where I will stop. I will continue this fight until I see every child, every child in school. Dear brothers and sisters, great people who brought change like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Aung San Suu Kyi, once stood here on this stage. I hope the steps that Kailash Satyarthi and I have taken so far and will take on this journey will also bring change, lasting change.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 20:21 ) My great hope is that this will be the last time, this will be the last time we must fight for education. Let’s solve this once and for all. We have already taken many steps. Now, it is time to take a leap. It is not time to tell the world leaders to realize how important education is, they already know it. Their own children are in good schools. Now, it is time to call them to take action for the rest of the world’s children. We ask the world leaders to unite and make education their top priority. 15 years ago, the world leaders decided on a set of global goals, the Millennium Development Goals. In the years that have followed, we have seen some progress. The number of children out of school has been halved, as Kailash Satyarthi said. However, the world focused only on primary education and progress did not reach everyone.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 21:49 ) In year 2015, representatives from all around the world will meet in the United Nations to set the next set of goals, the Sustainable Development Goals. This will set the world’s ambition for the next generations. The world can no longer accept that basic education is enough. Why do leaders accept that for children in developing countries only basic literacy is sufficient, when their own children do homework in algebra, mathematics, science, and physics? Leaders must seize this opportunity to guarantee a free, quality primary and secondary education for every child.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 23:01 ) Some would say this is impractical, or too expensive, or too hard, or maybe even impossible, but it is time the world thinks bigger. Dear sisters and brothers, the so-called world of adults may understand it, but we children don’t. Why is it that countries which we call strong are so powerful in creating wars, but are so weak in bringing peace? Why is it?

Malala Yousafzai: ( 23:59 ) Why is it that giving guns is so easy, but giving books is so hard? Why is it? Why is it that making tanks is so easy, but building schools is so hard? We are living in the modern age and we believe that nothing is impossible. We have reached the moon 45 years ago and maybe we’ll soon land on Mars. Then, in this 21st century, we must be able to give every child quality education.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 25:05 ) Dear sisters and brothers, dear fellow children, we must work, not wait. Not just the politicians and the world leaders, we all need to contribute. Me, you, we, it is our duty. Let us become the first generation to decide to be the last. Let us become the first generation that decides to be the last that sees empty classrooms, lost childhoods, and wasted potentials. Let this be the last time that a girl or a boy spends their childhood in a factory. Let this be the last time that a girl is forced into early child marriage. Let this be the last time that a child loses life in war. Let this be the last time that we see a child out of school. Let this end with us. Let’s begin this ending together, today, right here, right now. Let’s begin this ending now. Thank you so much.

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Malala Yousafzai’s Speech & Emma Watson’s Speech: Analysis

February 21, 2023

Did you see Malala Yousafzai’s speech when she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize? What about Emma Watson’s speech at the UN?

Sometimes a speech completely blows you away. Maybe it’s the astute perspective they bring to the table. Perhaps it’s the manner of speaking and the confidence they exude. Consider what you can learn from these inspirational speech-givers.

In this post, you’ll get a comprehensive breakdown of two iconic speeches. These are Malala Yousafzai’s Nobel Peace Prize speech and Emma Watson’s HeForShe UN speech. We’ve run both Yousafzai’s and Watson’s speech through our AI public speaking Coach Yoodli . This provides valuable insight into each speaker’s individual speaking style. To sweeten the deal, we’ve included a detailed writeup on both speeches’ delivery and content.

You’ll see the AI analysis of Malala’s speech and Emma Watson’s speech. Then, we’ll acquaint you with a free speaking resource. The tool can exponentially improve your speaking skills and help you learn from some of the best rhetoric.

Emma Watson’s UN speech

Emma Watson’s UN speech was definitely one for the books. Watch Watson’s speech here .

What was the context of Emma Watson’s speech?

Watson served as the Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women. On September 20, 2014, she gave a speech at the UN to launch the HeForShe campaign. This was a movement to urge men and boys to stand in solidarity with women in the movement for gender equality.

In her speech, Watson reaches a hand out to men to join the fight. She tells them that “gender equality is your issue, too.” She eloquently breaks down the negative stigma surrounding the word “feminism.” Watson explains how gender stereotypes can “imprison” anyone, regardless of gender. She asserts that everyone should be free to define themselves as they wish.

By and large, Watson gained positive reception. Phil Plait called the speech “stunning” in his piece for Slate , and Alyssa Bailey lauded it as “history-making” in ELLE .

Others have criticized the speech, specifically the choice of Watson as its messenger. Julia Zulver in Al Jazeera questions the UN’s decision in “Is Emma Watson the right woman for the job?” She states that Watson’s experiences belong “to a highly elite, privileged class of people.” 

Ultimately, you can determine whether Watson was the right person to deliver a speech on such sensitive subject matter.

Extracts from Emma Watson’s UN speech

Below we’ve included an abridged transcript of Watson’s speech so that you can see the parts that struck us here at Yoodli !

“The more I spoke about feminism, the more I realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating . If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop. … I am from Britain, and I think it is right I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should be able to make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decisions that will affect my life.”

What did Yoodli have to say?

If we take Yoodli ’s word for it, Watson is doing a great job with her HeforShe speech. She uses repetition and filler words such as “like” and “um” sparingly. This suggests she took great care to write and memorize her speech. (However, you might deliberately emphasize a point with repetition .) Watson made sure to use inclusive language . This is especially important because she’s inviting men to the fight for gender inequality.

In terms of delivery, Watson does well on pacing, which averages out to 124 words per minute. This is a comfortable speed for the listener, making her sound relaxed but also confident.

Our take on it 

• We commend Watson for her speech. It’s strong on many fronts and shines a powerful light on the current state of feminism. She discusses how men need to join this movement. Her use of “this has to stop” is bold and powerful. Here, she punctuates her statement with deliberate pauses that drive her point home. 
• She shares personal anecdotes that illustrate how gender inequality affects all women, just to varying extents and in different ways. She brings it back to her lived experience. Here’s one example: “At 14, I started to be sexualized by certain elements of the media.” This shows that even Watson, a celebrated actor and advocate, can experience adverse consequences of gender inequality. 
• Turning now to look at her delivery, we are proud to say Watson does well in this aspect as well. Her eye contact is a strength. Notice how she looks around the whole audience as she speaks. This allows her to connect with every audience member and better drive her point home.
• If we were to give Watson one tip, it’d be to speak sentences out in one go. (This is instead of taking small, wavering breaths in unnatural places.) She tends to pause in the middle of sentences. This makes her appear nervous. The nerves are perfectly understandable, given she’s delivering a speech with millions of eyes on her. All things considered, Emma Watson has done a fantastic job.

Malala Yousafzai’s Nobel Peace Prize speech

Malala Yousafzai’s Nobel Peace Price speech — to no one’s surprise — was eloquently delivered with a powerful message. You can watch Yousafzai’s speech here .

What was the context of Malala Yousafzai’s Nobel Peace Price speech?

Yousafazi is a celebrated Pakistani education activist. She’s the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate ever, as she won the award when she was 17. She delivered her acceptance speech in Oslo, Norway, on December 10, 2014. 

Yousafzai’s speech shows wisdom and bravery beyond her years. It speaks to the power of education. It also calls out global governments who stood by watching while Taliban terrorist attacks kept women from experiencing basic human rights.

Yousafzai faced two choices: “remain silent and wait to be killed” or “speak up and then be killed.” Her choice of the latter has made all the difference.

Extracts from Malala Yousafzai’s Nobel Peace Price speech

“This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want an education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change. I am here to stand up for their rights, to raise their voice . . . it is not time to pity them.”

According to Yoodli, Yousafzai has excellent word choice, completely avoiding filler words and non-inclusive language. She uses the occasional “weak word”; in her case, she mentions the words very , so, and just twice each. Nothing major.

However, if overused, weak words can indicate a lack of confidence. That, in turn, can undermine the message a speaker is trying to convey.

To improve, we’d recommend Yousafzai speak a little bit quicker. However, she might deliberately speak slowly because she’s speaking in a second language. Conversational speed is around 125 words per minute. This pace gives you the flexibility to slow down when you want to emphasize a particular point. Pausing is this rhetorical effect at its extreme.

Our take on it

• In Malala’s speech, she manages to strike the perfect balance of humility and self-confidence . She acknowledges that she’s the world’s youngest Pashtun, Pakistani, and person to win the Nobel Peace Prize. However, she balances this out by celebrating her fellow award winner Kailash Satyarthi. (Satyarthi won his prize for advocating against child labor in India.)
• She also manages to balance out seriousness with humor. In her speech, she brings the “voiceless children who want change” center-stage. This reminds us of the onus to bring education to all children in every corner of the globe. She reminds us that, while she’s fighting an oppressive terrorist group, she’s still just a young girl who has brothers. This humanizes her and adds a lighter tone to the speech. That’s important in a speech that is otherwise quite heavy.
• Similar to Watson, Yousafzai successfully uses repetition in “it is for those … children.” This emphasizes that the speech is not about her but about building a society that allows children to flourish.
• However, in contrast to Watson, Yousafzai uses pauses very deliberately. This is most noticeable at the ends of sentences to drive home the point she is making. This careful control over her speaking exudes confidence. 
• Moreover, her use of expressive hand movements and humorous smiles further demonstrates assuredness. If she believes in what she’s saying, we should as well.

How to Use AI and What You Learned from Watson and Yousafzai

You’ve read through how Watson and Yousafzai used the contents and delivery of their speeches to champion their feminist causes. Now let’s see what you can learn from both of them.

You can start by downloading Yoodli to work on your own public speaking skills. This AI-powered speech coach is perfecting for taking your skills to the next level.

When preparing your speech, include personal anecdotes to show the audience why you’re the perfect person to give this speech.

When practicing delivery, focus on pacing and eye contact — both are necessary to engage your audience fully. If you can, learn from Yousafzai and use your hands and smile as alternative ways of illustrating your point. 

You can get free and personalized feedback on your speech delivery. Just use the AI speech coach Yoodli to get insights on your pacing, inclusiveness of language, filler words, and more. This way, you can gain the confidence and public speaking skills needed to speak like your favorite orators. Keep working at it; you can do it!

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FBI says Chinese hackers preparing to attack US infrastructure

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Reporting by Christopher Bing; Editing by Richard Chang

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Award-winning reporter covering the intersection between technology and national security with a focus on how the evolving cybersecurity landscape affects government and business.

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Ambani's JioCinema cuts subscription prices as India's streaming war heats up

JioCinema, the streaming platform run by India's Reliance Industries , on Thursday cut prices of its premium offering to as low as 29 rupees ($0.3480) a month, heating up competition for Netflix and Amazon Prime.