History was made in 2014 when Kailash Satyarthi of India and Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize for their exceptional work in the fight against child exploitation and for the right to education for all children. This was the first time in history that the prestigious award was shared by an Indian and a Pakistani.
Satyarthi, a child labor activist, became India's eighth Nobel laureate. He has dedicated his life to ending the exploitation of children and advocating for their rights, continuing Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy of non-violent protest. Malala, the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, became Pakistan's second Nobel laureate and the global face of the movement for girls' education.
The Nobel Committee praised the duo for their courage and their tireless efforts to combat child labor and advocate for education in difficult and dangerous circumstances. Both have shown that children and young people can actively contribute to improving their situations, even in conflict zones.
The award, which comes with a prize of £690,000 ($1.11 million), highlights the importance of ensuring the right to education and protecting children from exploitation. The Nobel Committee also emphasized the significance of an Indian and a Pakistani working together towards these common goals, symbolizing hope for peace and cooperation between nations.
The international community has acknowledged the vital role both Satyarthi and Malala have played in raising awareness about child labor, with an estimated 168 million child laborers worldwide. The joint award is seen as a victory for all children denied access to education and highlights the continued global effort to end child labor.