![Pakistani teenage activist Yousafzai poses for pictures before an event launching her memoir "I Am Malala" in London Pakistani teenage activist Yousafzai poses for pictures before an event launching her memoir "I Am Malala" in London](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/malala-nobel-peace-prize-01.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
Ideas
Charlotte Alter is a senior correspondent at TIME. She covers politics, social movements, and generational change, and hosts TIME's Person of the Week podcast. She is also the author of The Ones We've Been Waiting For: How a New Generation of Leaders Will Transform America. Her work for TIME has won a Front Page Award from the Newswoman's Club of New York and has been nominated for a GLAAD Media award.
![Malala Yousafzai Malala Yousafzai](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/malala-nobel-peace-prize-08.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![JORDAN-SYRIA-PAKISTAN-REFUGEES-YOUSAFZAI JORDAN-SYRIA-PAKISTAN-REFUGEES-YOUSAFZAI](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/malala-nobel-peace-prize-04.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban for campaigning for girls' education, attends an award ceremony to receive her 2013 Sakharov Prize in Strasbourg Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban for campaigning for girls' education, attends an award ceremony to receive her 2013 Sakharov Prize in Strasbourg](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/malala-nobel-peace-prize-03.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Pakistani teenage activist Yousafzai poses for pictures before an event launching her memoir "I Am Malala" in London Pakistani teenage activist Yousafzai poses for pictures before an event launching her memoir "I Am Malala" in London](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/malala-nobel-peace-prize-01.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Queen Elizabeth II Receives Malala At Buckingham Palace Queen Elizabeth II Receives Malala At Buckingham Palace](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/malala-nobel-peace-prize-06.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Government Shutdown Forces Closures In Nation's Capitol In this handout image provided by the White House, the Obama family meets with Malala Yousafzai in the Oval Office on Oct. 11, 2013 in Washington, DC.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/malala-nobel-peace-prize-02.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![NETHERLANDS-PAKISTAN-UNREST-PEACE-PRIZE-MALALA NETHERLANDS-PAKISTAN-UNREST-PEACE-PRIZE-MALALA](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/malala-nobel-peace-prize-07.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![g9510.90.50_malalaB.indd malala nobel peace prize](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/malala-nobel-peace-prize-05.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![UN-PAKISTAN-YOUTH-MALALA YOUSAFZAI UN-PAKISTAN-YOUTH-MALALA YOUSAFZAI](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/malala-nobel-peace-prize.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Family Of Malala Yousafzai Arrive In UK Family Of Malala Yousafzai Arrive In UK](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/malala-nobel-peace-prize-09.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Sharia Law in Pakistan's Swat Valley and North-West Frontier Province Sharia Law in Pakistan's Swat Valley and North-West Frontier Province](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/malala-nobel-peace-prize-10.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
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Write to Charlotte Alter at charlotte.alter@time.com
TIME Ideas hosts the world's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. We welcome outside contributions. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors.