| Follow us on:
|
![The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday awarded the prize to Yousafzai, above, and Kailash Satyarthi, 60, an Indian child rights activists who has long worked against child labor [Xinhua]](http://thebricspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/231645119_8-e1412947797350.jpg)
The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday awarded the prize to Yousafzai, above, and Kailash Satyarthi, 60, an Indian child rights activists who has long worked against child labor [Xinhua]
The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday awarded the prize to Yousafzai, 17, and Kailash Satyarthi, 60, an Indian child rights activist who has long worked against child labor and slavery.
The Committee cited the bravery of both activists and praised them “for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.”
Thorbjorn Jagland, the Committee’s chairman, stressed that “Children must go to school, not be financially exploited”.
The Committee’s statement also said that they “regard it as an important point for a Hindu and a Muslim, an Indian and a Pakistani, to join in a common struggle for education and against extremism.”
Yousafzai survived a gunman’s shot to the head almost exactly two years ago when she demanded that girls be allowed to attend school.
Since then she has become a global advocate of child – and female – education. She currently lives and studies in Birmingham, England.
The Committee also lauded the efforts of Satyarthi, a former engineer who has for three decades dedicated his efforts to combat illegal child labor. He is the founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, or Save the Childhood.
“It has been calculated that there are 168 million child laborers around the world today. In 2000 the figure was 78 million higher. The world has come closer to the goal of eliminating child labor,” the Committee said of Satyarth’s campaign.
Source: Agencies
