KEY People MUHAMMAD YUNUS A Bangladeshi economist, entrepreneur, politician, and civil society leader, who has been serving as Chief Adviser (interim head of government) of the interim government of Bangladesh since 8 August 2024, Muhammad Yunus (1940-) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for founding the Grameen Bank and pioneering the concepts of microcredit and microfinance (tiny loans to help poor people start businesses). Yunus has received several other national and international honours, including the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010. MALALA YOUSAfZAI Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai (1997-) is a fierce champion for gender equality and education, both of which are key to helping people break out of the cycle of poverty. Born in Pakistan, where 3 million girls do not attend primary school, she became an activist at a young age. In 2012, she was shot by the Taliban for speaking out publicly about the importance of education for girls, and gained international attention. Since her recovery, Malala, now a student at Oxford University, has brought her message to the world, founding the Malala Fund, a non-profit organisation that works to break down the barriers that prevent 130 million girls around the world from going to school. SONItA ALIZADEH A rapper and activist, Sonita Alizadeh (1997-) uses her voice to raise public awareness about child marriage a harmful practice that impacts 12 million girls globally, depriving them of their fundamental rights to health, education, and safety. As an Afghan refugee living in Iran, Alizadeh was subjected to child marriage and created music to share her experience and draw attention to the issue. In 2016, Alizadeh became a champion for Girls Not Brides, a nonprofit organisation advancing global efforts to end child marriage. Alizadeh continues to advocate for gender equality and empower women and girls around the world. to empower: dare potere 258 DIffIcULtIES fierce: accanito loan: prestito