Girls and young women are unstoppable! Today, girls around the world are tackling issues like child marriage, skills and learning inequality, climate change or self-esteem.
This International Women's Day 2020, meet some of the girls who are doing –and leading!– change towards a more equal world for all.
Do you know other girls leading and standing up for women's rights, whether they are entrepreneurs, innovators or initiators of movements? Share their stories with Voices of Youth here, and join us on social media with the hashtag #voicesofyouth.
Prashansha KC, 18, Nepal
Prashansha was 15 when she first began working for girls' rights. It was seeing young girls in her community in rural Rukum District being forced into marriage – including among her own family and friends – that spurred her into action. She initiated different campaigns to build support against child marriage, including teaching girls self-defense skills, raising awareness among parents about the harms of early marriage, and helping connect victims of child marriage to legal authorities.
What are the main challenges for girls in your country or community today?
Social acceptance of child marriage, and lack of awareness among girls about their own rights. Girls are forced to drop out of school to get married at an age when they are not physically or mentally ready.
What are you doing to end violence against women?
I have been running a number of campaigns to inform children and families in different parts of Rukum about gender equality, reproductive health and the need to end child marriage. I also make documentaries related to child marriage (you can watch her short film here).
What advice would you give to other girls who want to start advocating for women’s rights?
At 15, I wanted to make a difference in my community, but it was hard to take the first step. But today, I’m glad I went for it. I want girls to know they can do anything they want – sometimes, you have to jump in the water and learn how to swim later.
Maimouna, 14, Mali
At 14, Maimouna N’Diaye is the youngest member of Mali’s award-winning national robotics team and one of its only girls. She became a member of Robots Mali when she was only 10. In 2018, they won competitions in Senegal. Her dream is to create her own company, developing IT applications, building robots and following her passion: coding. She actively promotes women in STEM in Mali.
What are the main challenges for girls in your country or community today?
Many girls are out of school. In addition to the poverty of some families who can’t afford to send them to school, many people believe that girls belong at home and not in school.
What are you doing to break stereotypes and support other girls?
In our robotics team, we’re trying to bring in more and more girls, not only to encourage them to pursue science but also to prove that in Mali, girls’ participation in science no longer needs to be demonstrated.
What advice would you give to other girls who want to start advocating for women’s rights?
Girls and women should be more interested in science to break stereotypes!
Nazifa, 21, Afghanistan
Nazifa, the captain of the cricket team representing the Herat Women Cricket Club, is an inspiration for young Afghan women who are interested in sports. She believes that healthy physical activity is imperative for the overall development of a woman’s personality. Though all sporting activities for women in the country are confined to indoors, she hopes that one day, Afghanistan would have its national women’s cricket team that would compete internationally.
What are the main challenges for girls in your country or community today?
The lack of access to education and other social services. For example, there are few girls only schools and few female teachers.
What are you doing to support women?
I conduct awareness sessions and campaigns through communities and religious leaders on violence against women and girls.
What advice would you give to other girls who want to start advocating for women’s rights?
Girls should be more active in social activities and have self-esteem and be self-confident. And as much as possible use their talent to unleash their potential.
Rubaba, 19, Afghanistan
Rubaba was born partially paralyzed. Confined to a corner of her house and denied an education, she suffered for years before deciding to turn her disability into an opportunity. About five years ago, Rubaba started to paint holding the brush between her teeth. She has now held several exhibitions in Afghanistan and represented her country internationally. She founded the Rubaba Centre for Art and Culture, where students learn creative and performing arts.
What are the main challenges for girls in your country or community today?
Girls in Afghanistan face numerous challenges, including violence, discrimination, harassment. There is also a gender imbalance at the workplace, as girls are not accepted as the drivers of progress and change.
What are you doing to support women?
I have started to give painting lessons to girls, including those with disabilities. It helps them cope with stress, anxiety and often very grim and violent situation at home. Gradually, girls are assuming an active role in the society and that will help improve the gender imbalance.
What advice would you give to other girls who want to start advocating for women’s rights?
Don’t give up! If I can change my fate with determination, hard work and following my dreams, so can they.
Mijiyawa Rahile, 22, Togo
She's an activist on issues of gender, development and leadership of girls from Togo. She is also a founding member of the Girls’ Motion movement, campaigning for gender equality through training, awareness raising, and campaigns on sexual and reproductive health. She works as the treasurer of the association Lifestyle International and as a volunteer in the Women and Development Action Group (GF2D).
What are the main challenges for girls in your country or community today?
One of the main challenges the young girls of my community are facing, is access to information related to reproductive health.
What are you doing to support women?
In order to break down the stereotypes, I do two main things: first, I become an activist in women's rights organizations, and then, I train myself to be a leader or role model in the community.
What advice would you give to other girls who want to start advocating for women’s rights?
They need to arm themselves with knowledge so that in a discussion, they can show the merits of their fight.
Somaya, 16, Afghanistan
Somaya is the captain of ‘Afghan Dreamers’ robotics team which comprises of 25 young women interested in creating mechanical robots. Somaya and her team built a robot for detecting landmines, that have caused numerous children and adults lose their limbs and lives in the 40 years of conflict. She'd like to become a role model for young Afghan girls who wish to pursue academic achievements and careers in science and technology.
What are the main challenges for girls in your country or community today?
The lack of girl sensitive facilities to allow more girls to access services and participate in issues that concern them.
What are you doing to support women?
I contribute to raise awareness, among men and women, on gender equality and girls’ rights.
What advice would you give to other girls who want to start advocating for women’s rights?
As girls, we must continue to share our success stories with other girls, families and governments through different communication channels. This is empowering to many other girls out there.
Aziza, 19, Afghanistan
Aziza is the Head of Multi-purpose Adolescents Group (MAG) in Seia Layak community, Bamyan. She helps adolescents to enhance their creative abilities through art, playing in important role in raising awareness on discrimination between boys and girls. She also visits families that do not allow their girls to go to school and convinces them to let girls be educated. Due to her efforts, a number of families are now sending their daughters to school and there has been a positive change in the thought process towards girls’ education.
What are the main challenges for girls in your country or community today?
There is high level of illiteracy among our parents, and because of this they do not realise the value of education, especially for girls. Their illiteracy is the main barrier in promoting, supporting and appreciating the importance of girls’ education.
What are you doing to support women?
As a member of the Multi-purpose Adolescent Group in my community, I actively raise awareness about the rights of girls and women.
What advice would you give to other girls who want to start advocating for women’s rights?
Always strive for the best and be confident in themselves. Amidst the challenges that Afghanistan faces, there is still hope and that hope is in young people.
Safia, 16, Afghanistan
Safia conducts a Literacy Class for community women who had never been to school. This is helping illiterate women to learn how to write their names and do simple mathematics. She is also playing an important role in enhancing the awareness level of the communities on social issues such as gender, child rights, negative impact of child marriage, personal and environmental health and hygiene, and the importance of education, particularly for girls.
What are the main challenges for girls in your country or community today?
The lack of access to education, especially tertiary education. Most parents do not allow girls to relocate to another city or province to study. This kills the dream of most of the adolescent girls.
What are you doing to support women?
As a member of the Multi-purpose Adolescent Group. I am actively working with my colleagues to urge community elders and religious leaders to propagate messages o non-violence against women. In addition, I also raise awareness about the rights of girls and women.
What advice would you give to other girls who want to start advocating for women’s rights?
Girls should take up an active role in shaping the society to be as they want it.
To learn more about gender equality, visit UNICEF.org