14-Year-Old Girl Shot for Going to School

You might have seen Twitter buzzing about today being the Day of the Girl, an international movement highlighting the importance of education and equality for girls and women worldwide. Sadly, a recent event proves the needs for this day: the shooting of a Malala Yousufzai, a 14-year-old girl in Pakistan.

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Malala, who lives in a conservative region of Pakistan, actively speaks out and blogs against the Taliban's ban on educating girls. On Tuesday, the Taliban boarded Malala's bus and shot her in the head and neck. Thankfully, she survived and doctors expect her to recover.

Watch Malala talk about the importance of education to a CNN reporter (with courage beyond her years):

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This story makes us want to hug our children a little bit tighter tonight, and be thankful for the education opportunities we do have in this country. You can follow the story as it develops on Twitter with the hashtags #dayofthegirl and #malala. If you'd like to support Malala's cause, the New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof recommends donating to Developments in Literacy or The Citizens Foundation, USA, both which build schools in Pakistan.