This study aims to explore the meanings of the struggles of Malala
Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2014, for the right to education
and look into their implications on the education sector in development
cooperation. For the purpose, the study reviews the social, cultural and
educational contexts of Pakistan, and analyzes her various forms of
resistance through her book and relevant documents. Malala has resisted for
girls' rights to education under the turbulent political circumstances inside
and outside against poverty and Islamic extremism which oppressed girls'
education severly. Her courageous actions have contributed to fostering girls'
schooling and putting more emphasis on education sector in development
cooperation. Her struggles have also given multifaceted implications in
regards to religious, political, and cultural conflicts that education sector in
development cooperation might face, and the timing, level, and main actor
issues of the international society's educational interventions in a
nation-state. Furthermore, Malala and her supporters has shown a great
power of civil society in development cooperation whereas the international society appeared rather helpless on the Pakistani issue at that time. The
voices of criticism of Malala still exist within Pakistan. However, she has
not been not swayed by the dominating social atmosphere of Islamic
extremism and resisted for peace and justice with her own critical
perspective. Malala's struggles for the right to education show the
importance of education in development cooperation and its right directions
to pursue, particularly when religious extremism and terrorism has been
threatening world peace harder.