Imagine waking up every day and having to cover your entire face and body, to avoid punishment, and then serving men in the community instead of working or going to school. Thus, imagine women as submissive and inadequate to men in society at all levels. This is the impertinence that women in the Middle East face every single day of their lives; that's how they are born and raised and that's all they know. In Malala Yousafzai's factual autobiography, I Am Malala, the Taliban target Malala for empowering girls to go to school and shoot her in the head; yet, somehow, Malala lives to continue the fight for women's right to education. The book was published in October 2013 by Little, Brown and Company and provides a first-hand portrait of what life is like for women in Malala's hometown of Swat Valley, Pakistan (Lamb and Yousafzai 3). The problem is that women do not have the opportunity to educate themselves or exercise what many consider natural freedoms. This is predominant in many Middle Eastern countries. Women in the Middle East should have the same rights as men and need help to gain their freedom. The country of Pakistan has not always oppressed women. The former Pakistan leader said: “No struggle will ever be successful without women participating side by side with men. There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women (Lamb and Yousafzai 31).” It was only when a general named Zia ul-Haq launched a coup and took control of the government that the rights of women and men became incomparable under Islamic law. Zia's regime didn't allow women to play most sports, have access to healthcare, or open a bank account, and in the middle of paper... would they clean up afterward? It is unfair and disgusting to know that this type of custom still exists in many countries. Malala did a great job telling her story and bringing light to an issue that needs attention. Everyone must unite to realize Malala's dream: equal rights for all. Works Cited Palmer, Caitriona. "The Taliban's War on Women." Lancet 352.9129 (1998): 734. Full Business Source. Network. May 4, 2014. .Petzen, Barbara. Primary source. March 30, 2014. Web. May 4, 2014. .Yousafzai, Malala, and Christina Lamb. I am Malala. Park Avenue: Little, Brown and Company, 2013. Book.