Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour has vaulted into a global pop culture phenomenon that invites the presence of figures from all walks of life. The youngest Nobel Laureate and activist, Malala Yousafzai, graced the London show at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, August 17.
The Pakistani activist, who is internationally recognized for her fight for girls’ education, was filled with gratitude upon attending her first ever “proper” concert and one of her childhood idols, Taylor Swift.
Yousafzai, 27, blessed her Instagram feed with photos from the Eras Tour show, which she attended with her husband, Asser Malik, and friends. She included beautiful captures—of Swiftie bracelets, posing with her husband while sporting heart-shaped shades and making hand hearts—to sum up her “magical” Swiftie experience.
In the caption, the fierce activist reminisced about one of her favorite memories from Swat Valley, Pakistan. Malala Yousafzai mentioned a field trip she and her best friend, Moniba, took in middle school while they were still allowed to attend school before the Taliban took over.
“Giggling, we went to a waterfall hidden away in a lush green mountain. We were so excited because we were finally allowed to go to school again,” the activist wrote.
Narrating how she and Moniba triumphed over their love for music, Yousafzai said that they climbed over the highest rock and sang their hearts out to Taylor Swift’s Love Story in front of their teachers and classmates. This, she explains, was the beginning of her Swiftie journey and to attend a Taylor Swift concert after having lived through a time where music and art were banned in her nation, Yousafzai recognized her privilege.
The Pakistani education activist expressed, “It feels magical that my first-ever proper concert would be to see @TaylorSwift, singing along to every song surrounded by friends.”
To emphasize the childhood joy she once felt, Yousafzai included a picture from the trip on the second slide of the Instagram post. A young Malala and her best friend Moniba flanked each other while smiling for a photo with a flowing stream in the backdrop. She concluded the post with a picture of the waterfall she cherished in the caption, which remains an ardent memory even after all these years.
However, Yousafzai intends to share the gift of music with girls around the world, even those who are yet to be freed from the shackles of the Taliban’s reign. In the final segment of her elaborate caption, the activist voiced how the Taliban have halted the progress of women and barred them from school work and public life in general.
“Once again, music no longer plays on the streets… one day, I hope we will live in a world where every girl will be able to enjoy music and live out her wildest dreams,” Yousafzai concluded.
The Nobel Prize laureate reiterated the influence of music in her and her peers’ lives in Swat Valley, making them feel confident and free. But since it has come to a stop, Yousafzai hopes that one day every girl in the world will experience their “wildest dreams” just as she did.
