What events or people helped with the changing roles for women in Pakistan’s history

I can only comment in terms of the book. As Malala and her father note repeatedly, it would be easy to stop speaking out, fly under the radar, and allow the Taliban and its brutal regime to continue pushing them around. This, however, would go against their belief in the power that social and political activism has to elicit social change. Malala and her father's constant willingness to speak out—and the way they actually manage to change things for the better—is a shining example of how grassroots activism can make a difference.