PAKISTANI education campaigner Malala Yousafzai became the youngest-ever Nobel Prize winner today, joining Kailash Satyarthi of India in winning the peace award.

The 17-year-old, who lives in Birmingham after surviving being shot in the head by the Taliban, and the 60-year-old share the prize for their work to protect children from slavery, extremism and child labour at great risk to their own lives.

The Nobel committee linked the peace award to conflicts between world religions and neighbouring nuclear powers as well as drawing attention to children’s rights

“Child slavery is a crime against humanity. Humanity itself is at stake here. A lot of work still remains but I will see the end of child labour in my lifetime,” Mr Satyarthi said.

Since 1980, he has been at the forefront of a global movement to end child slavery and exploitative child labour, which he called a “blot on humanity.”

News of the award set off celebrations on the streets of Mingora, Ms Yousafzai’s hometown in Pakistan’s volatile Swat Valley, with residents greeting each other and distributing sweets.

When she was a student there, Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman two years ago for insisting that girls as well as boys have the right to an education.

She waited until the end of the school day yesterday to give her take on the news.

“My message to children all around the world is that they should stand up for their rights,” she said.

“I had really two options, one was not to speak and wait to be killed and the second was to speak up and then be killed.

“And I chose the second one because at that time there was terrorism, women were not allowed to go outside of their houses, girls’ education was totally banned, people were killed.

“At that time I needed to raise my voice because I wanted to go back to school. I was also one of those girls who could not get education. I wanted to learn and be who I can be in my future.”