Who Is Malala Yousafzai's Husband? All About Asser Malik

Though openly skeptical of marriage, Malala Yousafzai met a man who would change her preconceived notions about relationships: Asser Malik.

The human rights activist wed Malik in November 2021 despite claiming on numerous occasions that she didn't believe marriage was right for her.

"'I do not want to get married … or at least not until I'm 35.' I heard myself blurt out those words – reactionary, half-consciously – many times over the last few years when asked about relationships," she wrote in a personal essay.

But her opinions changed when she met Malik. "Today marks a precious day in my life. Asser and I tied the knot to be partners for life," she wrote alongside a series of snaps from the intimate ceremony. "We celebrated a small nikkah ceremony at home in Birmingham with our families."

"Please send us your prayers," she added. "We are excited to walk together for the journey ahead."

In addition to posting a photo of the couple cutting into a "victory cake" post ceremony, Malik also shared some kind words about Yousafzai after their wedding.

"In Malala, I found the most supportive friend, a beautiful and kind partner," he wrote on social media following the wedding. "I'm so excited to spend the rest of our life together."

So, who is Malala Yousafzai's husband? Here's everything to know about Asser Malik and his relationship with the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

He works for the Pakistan Cricket Board

Malik currently works for the Pakistan Cricket Board — the governing body for the sport in Pakistan, which controls and organizes matches for the country's national team — becoming their High Performance General Manager in May 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile.

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Before taking the position, Malik was a managing director at a player-management agency, according to ESPN.

He is also co-founder of the amateur cricket league Last Man Stands in Pakistan. For the past six years, LMS Pakistan has helped give amateur and recreational players sufficient experience and brought the sport to areas where there is a "dearth of cricket infrastructure," per his LinkedIn profile.

In 2018, the team competed in the LMS World Series for the first time. "We will win it for Pakistan," Malik said in a video posted on Facebook in August of that year (Sri Lanka ended up winning the LMS World Series).

Yousafzai also shares his love for cricket

Both Malik and Yousafzai have a deep passion for cricket, with Yousafzai giving a shoutout to the sport in her Instagram bio.

"Girls' education advocate, @malalafund + @on.assembly co-founder, cricket fan," it reads.

On July 15, 2021, she also acknowledged her love for cricket and how playing sports influenced her life's work of advocating for women's rights in an Instagram post.

"As a girl, I loved to play cricket with my friends and brothers," she wrote. "But I noticed that boys would throw a slower ball to me, assuming girls were afraid to hit a fast ball. I always shouted back at them and told them to throw the ball like they would if I were a boy."

"Playing sports helped give me the boldness to be competitive and resilient in my fight for girls' education and equality," she continued.

He graduated from college in 2012

Malik graduated from Aitchison College in Lahore, Pakistan, and Lahore University of Management Sciences, where he earned a degree in economics and political science in 2012, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Meanwhile, Yousafzai graduated from Oxford University in 2020 with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics.

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He's a Golden State Warriors fan

Malik posted a photo thanking NBA commissioner Adam Silver for tickets to his first NBA Finals game in 2022, where he supported the Golden State Warriors. "Dub Nation, we got this," he captioned the photo, which showed him and Yousafzai wearing Warriors merchandise.

The Warriors went on the win the 2022 NBA Finals in six games.

He's known Yousafzai for years

Malik and Yousafzai met at the University of Oxford in the summer of 2018 while he was visiting friends on campus.

In 2019, he posted a series of photos from the 2019 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup that included Yousafzai.

"Best day at @homeofcricket with Waqar Younis, @aslitareen and @malala," he wrote alongside one group snap, while he captioned another shot taken days later, "Rooting for Pakistan."

He changed Yousafzai's mind on marriage

Before tying the knot with Malik in November 2021, Yosafazai openly mused about whether marriage would ever be in her future and emphasized that if she ever married, it would not be before her 35th birthday.

According to a personal essay written for British Vogue, Malik showed Yousafzai how a relationship would coexist with her desire to "remain true to [her] values of equality, fairness and integrity."

"I still don't have all the answers for the challenges facing women — but I believe that I can enjoy friendship, love and equality in marriage," she wrote.

He celebrates Yousafzai's birthday on social media every year

Malik has always been vocal on social media about his feelings for Yousafzai.

For her 24th birthday, he shared a snap of the couple posing together in front of some festive birthday decorations, which included a very special cardboard cutout of Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan.

"Happy Birthday to the most amazing @Malala," he tweeted. "@iamsrk had to make a necessary cameo of course."

He doubled down on the praise for her 25th birthday. "You light up every room you enter, and I feel privileged that I get to see that up close," he wrote.

In July 2023, Yousafzai turned 26, and per tradition, Malik penned a sweet note to his wife on Twitter.

"Happy Birthday Malala. You don’t need any reminders of how amazing you are. But for what it’s worth you are the best partner I could have ever hoped for," he wrote alongside a photo of the couple.

Yousafzai says he's "not allowed" to shave his beard

In a new year's resolutions game posted to Yousafzai's TikTok in December 2021 , she joked that Malik is "not allowed" to shave his beard.

"If you shave your beard, just leave the house. I don't want to see you," she said while Malik laughed.

He supports Yousafzai's work

Amid deadly clashes between Israel and Palestine — the worst escalation of violence between the two countries since 2014 — Yousafzai called on world leaders to help protect human rights in Palestine.

"Proud of you," he wrote on Twitter in May 2021 alongside a video of her passionate plea.

In June 2022, he also posted a photo of himself and Yousafzai at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway, which curates the work of award holders. "Felt super privileged seeing the amazing recognition of Malala's activism," he wrote.

Yousafzai executive produced Stranger at the Gate — a documentary that follows the true story of a U.S. marine who plans to bomb a small-town American mosque. The 2022 film was later nominated for an Oscar in the Best Documentary Short category.

On March 12, 2023, Malik and his wife, who dazzled in a silver Ralph Lauren gown, walked the 95th annual Academy Awards red carpet.

"An incredible day with my incredible wife," Malik captioned a photo of the couple on his Instagram Story.

He and Yousafzai saw the Barbie movie

In July 2023, the couple saw the Barbie movie together — and Yousafzai shared a cheeky post on Instagram after.

"This Barbie has a Nobel Prize 💖 He’s just Ken," she said, hinting at the movie's feminist themes. "We loved the movie, it was so funny and thoughtful 😂 I hope this caption doesn’t hurt all the Kens as much as the movie Ken."

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