What Changes Do These Young Women Want for the World?

Young human rights defenders, who defend social and racial equality, face significant challenges in youth activism. It has never been easy, but with the health crisis in the midst of the pandemic caused by COVID-19, they consider that their effort is greater, because we are living in a sectorized world, according to Amnesty International's website. However, in the midst of so much uncertainty, they have not stopped working and fighting for a better world. That is why these admirable young women are working hard in the fight to make it possible.

Vibha Venkatesha (United States)

With only 24 years. Women's rights have always been present in the life of Vibha, who campaigns for mass incarceration, solitary confinement, refugee rights, and LGBTI rights. She was a Midwest representative of the National Youth Action Committee, now a delegate of the U.S. Global Youth Collective. She also hopes to be able to act efficiently on the issue of the climate crisis and take action on what has caused COVID-19.

On the other hand, there is the aspect related to police brutality, gun violence, reproductive justice, and access to equity for migrants.

Ikram Jaoui (Morocco)

With only 23 years. She is an activist for women's human rights and fights for the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence. She was a member of Morocco's National Youth Committee in 2017 and is now a member of the Global Youth Collective, according to LinkedIn. She believes that 2020 has not been easy, due to COVID-19, confinement, curfew, wildfires, among others. Jaoui said she continues to have hope for our future and aspires to see humanity and health care, including that people show more gratitude.

On the other hand, she wants to continue to promote and protect the rights of women, especially those from marginalized sectors.

Allyson Castillo (Chile)

With only 19 years. She is a vindicator of gender equality and atmospheric justice in Chile. Social media allows her to reach a wide general diversity of people, including members and political groups. She seeks to continue her work as a youth leader, leading new spaces of feminism, with a focus on human rights.

Also read: WOMEN OVER 50 FIGHTING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Sofia Scarlat (Romania)

With only 17 years. The authorities of her community committed acts with impunity; this fact led her to create Girls Up, which is the first Romanian organization for gender equality in adolescents. Fight for the advancement of equality through the prevention of gender-based violence and sex trafficking. She is also an advocate for the inclusion of sex education among young people and supports minor victims of gender-based violence, collaborating in access to legal assistance.

Jakomba Jabbie (The Gambia)

With only 16 years. Jakomba Jabbie founded a robotics club at her school to encourage girls to venture into science and technology. She is an advocate for the education of adolescent girls and knows the fundamental importance of providing girls with spaces in STEM fields. In addition, she has partnered with organizations to empower girls.

Latifatou Compaoré (Burkina Faso)

With only 14 years. She learned the great spirit of resistance from her mother, who as a child was subjected to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), this causes a number of serious consequences, such as bleeding, shock, infections, and difficulties in childbirth. That's why she decided to become a human rights defender and women's rights defender, according to the UN Women website.

On the other hand, she has an excellent talent as a singer, in which she shows that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) can be a health problem.

Samaira Mehta (United States)

With only 12 years. She is a talented girl who has been in the technological world for 2 years, she was able to design a board game, called CoderBunnyz and its purpose is to provide teaching about programming to children. This hobby is inherited by her father who works at Intel. Incredibly, the girl ran a playbox donation campaign, called "A Billion Kids Can Program." According to LinkedIn, its mission is to empower one billion children around the world to start their journey in coding, computational thinking, and STEM to design the next generation of problem solutions.

On the other hand, she has won several awards, recognitions, and initiatives, including conferences, and has been a speaker from a very young age.