Express. Angelina Jolie honours schools battle girl shot by the Taliban

The Oscar-winning actress introduced 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai to thousands of guests at the Women in the World summit in New York.

Angelina also gave £130,000 to the new “Malala’s Fund” for girls’ education in Pakistan.

Malala was shot in the head in October by Taliban attackers after speaking out about her right to an education.

She underwent hours of surgery at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. She now goes to a school in the city.

Mother-of-six Angelina, the partner of fellow star Brad Pitt, said: “Here’s what they accomplished. They shot her at point-blank range in the head – and made her stronger. The brutal attempt to silence her voice made it stronger.”

A special envoy for the UN refugee agency, the Tomb Raider actress said Malala’s father had shown his daughter a poll that said she was the sixth most influential person in the world ahead of President Barack Obama, who was ranked seventh.

The organisation, which was not named for security reasons, will offer a safe place for the girls to study as well as financial support for their families.

Malala said: “It is the happiest moment in my life. Let us turn the education of 40 girls into 40 million girls.”