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
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.
At 15, I wanted to make a difference in my community, but it was hard to take the first step. But 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!
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