A Maltese law student has been listed among Forbes 'under 30' Europeans fighting inequity, corruption and the status quo.

Sara Ezabe

Sara Ezabe Malliue, 21, has been named in the third annual '30 Under 30' Europe list, which features 300 young innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders transforming one of 10 industries.

The list includes Hervé Berville, a Rwandan genocide survivor and member of Emmanuel Macron’s ruling party and chart-topping singer Rita Ora.

Ms Ezabe Malliue, commissioner of the National Youth Council in Malta, placed among the European Law and Policy cohort.

Forbes noted that Ms Ezabe Malliue co-founded the movement #RedefiningUs after facing discrimination for wearing a headscarf.

As a recipient of Queen Elizabeth's Young Leaders Award, she has also had a royal audience to discuss her experience as a Muslim in a predominantly Christian country.

The young Maltese woman has followed a leadership course at the University of Cambridge and is still studying for her law degree at the University of Malta.

Contacted by Times of Malta, Ms Ezabe Malliue said she was honoured with the acknowledgement.

“It means my work is recognised, but most importantly, this recognition shows that combating racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia continue to be crucial policy and legal areas that need to be addressed.

“This is especially true when it comes to designing better policy framework to deal with these issues and to implement hate speech laws which regulate better online spaces.”

Forbes's list includes a record number of 34 European countries, with entrepreneurs from places like Belarus and Kosovo for the first time.

It noted the honorees are judged on leadership, entrepreneurial mind-set and the likelihood of changing their industry over the next half-century.