Malala and Sheryl Sandberg Talk Girls’ Education

2 minute read

Sheryl Sandberg hosted a Facebook livestream event Friday with Malala Yousafzai, who answered questions from all over the world about her work to promote education for the 60 million girls worldwide who don’t go to school.

Malala, who became an international human rights leader after she was shot in the head by the Taliban on her way to school in Pakistan in 2012, took questions from Facebook users about terrorism, education and her goals for the future.

When asked how she would change the minds of anti-education terrorist groups like Boko Haram, Malala said, “the first thing is that we should ask ourselves: why do the terrorists become terrorists?” She noted that most terrorist groups are created from poverty and discrimination, but that education can help alleviate both of these causes. “This is why I fight for education, because through education we can fight terrorism, not through guns and not through weapons.”

Malala stayed remarkably on-message during the interview, answering almost every question with an impassioned argument for more girls education or a gracious thank you to her father and mother for supporting her. But there were a few moments where it became clear that, at home, she’s still just a regular 17-year old girl:

“Sometimes my brothers think I’m my parents’ favorite, but I think it’s fine. I think that kind of discrimination is okay.

And then later:

“I have two brothers and they really make me behave like a child… I tell my parents, these boys are fighting with me, and you’re discriminating!”

Teenagers, take note: accusing your parents of discrimination is the best way to win fights with your annoying brothers.

 

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Write to Charlotte Alter at charlotte.alter@time.com