Malala Tells Parkland Students To 'Believe In Your Voice' As They Fight For Gun Control

Malala Yousafzai is one of the most recognized social activists in the world. She won a Nobel prize as a result of speaking out about the importance of women's access to education, after she was shot by the Taliban in her native Pakistan.

The 20-year-old now has words of inspiration for the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, according to an interview with Teen Vogue.

"I am so happy that people are realizing that their voice can actually change the world. And people keep saying that their voice can't change the world and you don't get it clearly until you actually reach the point where you realize that if I speak about these issues, if I raise my voice, I will see impact," she said, congratulating the teen activists who have emerged following the February shooting.

"These young people will see an impact now because they have seen an issue, they have seen an injustice, and now they're speaking out. Their voices can be heard and I will say to them, 'Believe in yourself, believe in your voice and your voices won't get wasted.'" 

In 2012, Yousafzai's story made international headlines when she was shot at the age of 15 by the Taliban. 

"For my brothers it was easy to think about the future," Malala told the BBC. "They can be anything they want. But for me it was hard and for that reason I wanted to become educated and empower myself with knowledge."

She used the violent act to inspire other young women across the globe. 

"I wanted to speak up for my rights," she said. "And also I didn't want my future to be just sitting in a room and be imprisoned in my four walls and just cooking and giving birth to children. I didn't want to see my life in that way."

Yousafzai, who is currently a student at Oxford University in London, will be featured in the third episode of David Letterman’s new Netflix series "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction." She follows his other guests, former President Barack Obama and George Clooney.

[Photo: Getty Images]