NEW DELHI -- The awarding of this year's Nobel Peace Prize to children's rights activists Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi illustrates the urgency of further improving conditions for young people and women around the world.
The Taliban tightened their control over Pakistan's Swat Valley, Yousafzai's birthplace, about seven years ago. They have forced an extreme interpretation of Islam on the population, imposing strict gender-based rules and destroying schools to keep girls from receiving an education.