Malala Yousufzai, Pakistan's teenage education rights activist and crusader, received one of this year's 'Clinton Global Citizens Awards' during a Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) award dinner in New York City.
She received this year's award for Leadership in Civil Society.
Last year, she was shot in the head by the Taliban for demanding education for girls while returning home on a bus from school.
"Women are not even accepted as human beings. They are treated with injustice and inequality. Women are denied, they are neglected even in the developed countries where they are not given the opportunities to move forward and be what they want," she said after receiving the award.
The young, impassioned peace activist touched on issues from child labor and poverty to inequality and injustice among women from Afghanistan to Syria.
"We ask the governments, and the responsible people -- If you want to see peace in Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. If you want to end the war, if you want to fight against the war, then instead of sending guns, send books," she said.
She has been nominated as the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize award, and was shortlisted by Time magazine as their "Person of the Year," according to CGI. In addition, she co-founded the Malala Fund to continue advocating for universal access to education.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was also among this year's award recipients for his leadership in response to Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.
