31 Female-Empowering Initiatives

Malala Yousafzai, the 17-year-old Pakistani teen, is the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She shares the honor, which comes with $1.1 million, with Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian children's rights activist. This achievement is especially significant, considering that Yousafzai is only the fifteenth woman to receive the award.

Since being shot by the Taliban in 2012, Yousafzai has written a memoir, been heralded as one of Time's 100 Most Influential People and fiercely campaigned for girls' education.

Yousafzai won the title from a pool of nearly 300 nominees, the highest amount to ever be considered for the prize. They included Pope Francis, Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning. Yousafzai joins a long list of esteemed winners, including Al Gore and Nelson Mandela.