This short article is a dedication to all the strong young women out there fighting to make the world a better place. All these women have achieved great things in the face of adversity. We believe it is important for women to feel empowered and to use whatever platform they can to speak their mind and be heard.
1. Greta Thunberg (19)
“You are stealing our future”
This fantastic young woman has been all over the news for her dedication to saving the world. She truly is a pioneer in the fight against climate change. A young Swedish activist that has taken the world’s problems on her shoulders, and stood up against governments all over the world. Every Friday, Greta holds a school strike outside the Swedish parliament to protest climate change. Greta, aged only 19, has already travelled the world, made speeches, and met world leaders in her efforts to save our planet.
Click here to read our article, How to Save the World on a Student Budget.
Malala Yousafzai (24)
“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”
Malala is the youngest Nobel Laurette, which was awarded for her activism for female educational rights in Pakistan. In 2012, Malala was shot in the head by a member of the Taliban in retaliation to her activism, but she did not let this stop her. Malala is now studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the University of Oxford, England. She’s a true inspiration to young girls all over the world and continues today to fight for female rights.
Emma Gonzalez (22)
“The people in the government who are voted into power are lying to us … And us kids seem to be the only ones who notice and are prepared to call B.S.”
Emma Gonzalez is a survivor of the Stoneman Douglas Highschool shooting in February 2018. Since then, she has been a vocal activist for gun control in America and co-founded the gun control advocacy group, Never Again MSD. Gonzalez made a speech called ‘We Call B.S.’ which went viral last year, and called out politicians funded by the NRA who are not addressing the gun issue.
Yursa Mardini (23)
“I want all refugees to be proud of me. I want to encourage them that even if we are not in our homeland, we can still do great things.”
Yursa is a refugee from Syria who fled for her life with her sister. While on the boat to Lebanon, the engine stopped and Yursa had no other choice than to tread water for three hours until the boat was fixed. Yursa realised the gift she had for swimming and trained to become an Olympian. Yursa competed as a swimmer in the Rio Olympics and has been appointed as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, where she helps other refugees.
Halima Aden (22)
“There are so many Muslim women that feel like they don’t fit society’s standard of beauty. I just wanted to tell them it’s OK to be different; being different is beautiful, too”
Halima’s modelling contract non-negotiably includes her Hijab. She started off as a Somalian refugee, and now she is redefining beauty standards, and exposing the freedom and empowerment a Hijab provides. Halima is the first-ever Hijabi model to appear on the cover of Vogue Arabia and British Vogue, and the first ever model to don a burqini on the cover of Sports Illustrated. She’s beautiful, and a true inspiration.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (32)
“Leadership starts with our choices.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest ever female member of Congress in the United States. Alexandria has built a large social media following and uses it as a platform to hear the voices of young Americans. She came from a poor immigrant family in the Bronx and worked 18-hour shifts as a teenager in order to help support her mother. Ocasio-Cortez has signed the ‘Green New Deal’ to help manage climate change, is an activist for immigrant rights, and is an advocate for raising the minimum wage.
Nadia Murad (29)
“I want to be the last girl in the world with a story like mine.”
Nadia was kidnapped and held prisoner by ISIS for three months and was held as a sex slave. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts towards ending human sex trafficking. She is the founder of the Nadia Initiative, an organization dedicated to helping women and children victimized by genocide, mass atrocities, and human trafficking to heal and rebuild their lives and communities.
Let’s hear it for the strong, powerful, inspirational women in our world today.
