Girl-led activists are changing the world, and their names deserve to be known.
- Bana al-Abed, age 10
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When she was 7 years old, Syrian refugee Bana al-Abed, took to Twitter to broadcast her experience in Aleppo during the siege, airstrikes, and hunger. With her family, she eventually escaped to Turkey, which led her to write her book, “Dear World: A Syrian Girl’s Story of War and Plea for Peace”, where she recounts the conflict in Syria and sheds light on the refugee crisis. At the 2018 Academy Awards, Common and Andra Day performed their Oscar-Nominated song “Stand Up For Something” which included Bana al-Adeb along with other activists.
- Mari Copeny, age 13
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In 2016, Mari Copeny, also known as Little Miss Flint, wrote a letter addressed to President Obama urging him to meet with activists concerning the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan. In response, President Obama visited Flint and shined a national spotlight on the crisis. In 2017, Copeny partnered with Pack Your Bag to raise $10,000 for school supplies and $1,000 backpacks to Flint students, as well as raise $13,000 for toys for kids in Flint for the holidays. Copeny’s accomplishments don’t stop there; she has continued to work with organizations such as People’s Climate March, and a water filtration company that facilitates drinkable water in deprived communities. Copeny also created the hashtag #WednesdayForWater where you can follow her reports on places in need of clean water.
- Isra Hirsi, age 17
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Isra Hirsi, daughter of Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, is a climate change activist focused on the racially divided effects of climate change. During middle school, Hirsi advocated for the Black Lives Movement and at age 12, protested among others for justice for Jamar Clark at the mall of America. In 2019, Hirsi co-founded and serves as the co-executive director of the U.S. Youth Climate Strike. She has been a key part of activating chapters to join the estimated 1.6 million students across 120 countries to skip school in March to demand official action on climate change. Due to her contributions to climate activism, Hirsi was won a Brower Youth Award.
- Payal Jangid, age 17
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After escaping child slavery in India, Payal Jangid became an outspoken children’s rights advocate and is extremely vocal about issues concerning young women. Jangid is the leader of her village’s Child Parliament, an organization that holds meetings to discuss improvement for the treatment of children. Jangid also became the first Indian to receive the Changemaker Award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for her contributions to end child marriages.