Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai

and Indian children's right activist Kailash Satyarthi, won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize

on Friday. Malala, a former Sakharov Prize winner, came

under the spotlight after she was shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012 for defending

better rights for girls, in Pakistan. At 17, she has become the youngest ever Nobel Prize

winner. The EU, who won the award in 2012, congratulated

the winners and urged world leaders to increase their fight for children's access to education.

“We are delighted for Malala, who so courageously stood up for her rights and paid a high price

for something that many in our countries take for granted.

In recognition of her fight for equal access to education, Malala was also awarded the Sakharov prize in 2013, joining former winners

such as Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi. 'Let us change the ideology of being powerful,

the powerful countries shall not be judged by counting their soldiers and navy, but rather

we must see which country has the higher literacy rate, which country has more educated people,

which country has provided their basic rights to citizens.'

Despite going through one of the worst crises

in decades and repeated scenes of social unrest across the continent, the European Union won

the Nobel peace prize in 2012. The Norwegian prize committee awarded the

27-nation bloc for its 60 years of contributions to peace and reconciliation, democracy and

human rights in Europe. The Nobel peace prize is worth 1 million euros

and will be handed out on December 10th in Norway.