Today is International Day of the Girl, as declared by the United Nations. From the UN web site:

On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. For its second observance, this year’s Day will focus on “Innovating for Girls’ Education”.

The fulfilment of girls’ right to education is first and foremost an obligation and moral imperative. There is also overwhelming evidence that girls’ education, especially at the secondary level, is a powerful transformative force for societies and girls themselves: it is the one consistent positive determinant of practically every desired development outcome, from reductions in mortality and fertility, to poverty reduction and equitable growth, to social norm change and democratization.

On this International Day of the Girl, I urge you to watch this video of Malala Yousafzai being interviewed by Jon Stewart. She is the Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban while she attempted to go to school. Interestingly, a backlash has already started against Yousafzai, maybe because she has scored a $3 million book deal? Maybe because she defies expectations? Maybe because she is “so articulate”? In any case, she possesses an excess of courage and poise and wisdom.

Here she is talking about her desire to be a politician:

I will be a politician in my future. I want to change the future of my country and I want to make education compulsory. I hope that a day will come [when] the people of Pakistan will be free, they will have their rights, there will be peace and every girl and every boy will be going to school.

Whatever your take on Malala, there is no doubt that she can serve as a role model.