Wednesday's throne speech will include a special detail: the government of Canada plans to give honorary citizenship to Malala Yousafzai.

"Our government will bestow honorary citizenship on Malala Yousafzai who courageously advocates for human rights and freedom against the backdrop of Taliban extremism and oppression," a government source tells CBC News.

Malala, 16, was already an outspoken advocate for girls' education when she was critically injured on Oct. 9, 2012, when a gunman shot her while she was riding home on a school bus in the city of Mingora. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in Pakistan's volatile Swat Valley​.​

She will become just the sixth person to be given honorary Canadian citizenship. The others include: 

  • Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg.
  • Nelson Mandela.
  • The Dalai Lama.
  • Aung San Suu Kyi.
  • The Aga Khan.