Based on the options provided, the most plausible inference about Malala's mother would be:
C) She thought that Malala would be safer if she wasn’t walking to school.
This implies that Malala's mother was concerned about her daughter’s safety and believed that avoiding the walk to school would help protect her. The other options suggest a lack of concern for Malala's safety or an assumption about gender safety, which may not align with a protective parental instinct.