I announce the true winner – Malala!

Malala Yousafzai is a symbol of courage and perseverance. Starting from the tender age of 11 she was already making her voice heard as an activist speaking out against the tyranny of those who wanted to shackle women by denying them a right to education.

There is no doubt that Malala is a product of her family - clearly she would not have been able to do what she has done without the support and active encouragement of her father, however this does not diminish her achievement and courage in any way. She stuck her neck out of the parapet and made her voice heard in a country where speaking up most often results in death.

Malala knew that she was putting her life in danger. I have a daughter who is one year younger than Malala was when she started writing a blog for the BBC. Girls that age are mature enough to understand that actions have consequences. She started off writing anonymously, but as the power of her message grew, she went public with her name, and her face became known throughout Pakistan and indeed the world.

There is no doubt that Malala and her family knew that it was just a matter of time until the Taliban reacted - something which came to pass one year ago, when the girl was going home in a school bus. When her would-be assassins boarded the bus, Malala did not try to hide her identity. In order to draw attention away from her friends she spoke up: "I am Malala". The Taliban 'warriors' shot the teenager in the head and neck and left her for dead.

The fact that she is still alive today is not due to any compassion shown to her by the Taliban. She survived solely because of her strength of will and because of the international backlash to the assassination attempt, which led to international medical assistance being made available immediately.

One year down the line, after countless surgeries and painful therapy, Malala rose from her sickbed to resume her work, speaking up for girls all over the world who want to break free of the shackles of ignorance and bigotry.

The whole world was waiting with bated breath for this young woman to be honoured this month, one year after she survived the attempt on her life. We were all waiting for the news that Malala had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

However, instead the prize went to an organisation, not the young woman who inspired the whole world with her bravery and generosity.

The decision to award the prize to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons baffled people all over the world. It is true that this organisation recently helped Barack Obama save face when it came to Syria, but surely that should not be the basis for such an award?

It is clear that the award committee in Oslo marches to the beat of a different drum when it comes to awarding the Nobel Prize. The decisions they make have become increasingly political as the years go by. After all what can be more political (and ridiculous) than the decision to award Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009? What had Obama contributed to world peace at the time? In fact, I actually question whether even now, four years down the line, Barack Obama has made any contribution to world peace at all.

The Nobel awarding committee had a wonderful opportunity. By awarding the prize to Malala they could have stood firm with her against the abuse and subjugation of women in many Muslim countries. They would have sent out a strong message against violence and against those who use threats to stifle the voices of those who speak up in favour of change.

Giving the award to Malala would have encouraged women who are struggling to cope with the restrictions placed on them by society: those who want to go to school but are not allowed to do so; those who want to choose their own life partner but are forced into marriages to strangers; those who want to work but are not allowed out of the house unchaperoned; those who are told that they are inferior, solely because they are not men. It would have shown these women that they are not alone in their struggles and that the world cares about their plight. It would also have shown those who abuse their position of power in society that the world is watching.

Malala did not win the Nobel Prize, but I believe she is still the winner. Malala has inspired a generation of young women into action, showing them that change is indeed possible and that the world does care. She might not have taken the prize money home with her, but she should know that in homes all over the world, including homes such as mine in Malta, mothers are telling their daughters about her and discussing with them the importance of speaking up for their rights.

I am in awe of Malala Yousafzai. It is hard to believe that a 16-year-old girl from a remote valley in Pakistan had the power to shake the conservative foundations of the Muslim world - but she has done so.

The Nobel committee might not have noticed - but the rest of the world sure has.

Claudine Cassar is the Managing Director of Alert Communications Ltd