Female Changemakers
By: Harnoor Nagra; Edited By: Elaheh Khazi
Throughout history women have been at the forefront of progressive movements. Even before women got the right to vote, they were organizing and protesting for social change. It was women who led iniatal pushes to end child labor, establish a welfare system, and establish universal suffrage. Today, women across the globe are following in the footsteps of their predecessors and leading important political movements. In honor of National Women’s Month, Next Generation Nations (NGN) has compiled a list of women who are driving social change in our society today.
Julieta Martinez: Julieta is a Chilean activist who is pushing for gender equality and solutions for climate change. Having been insulin dependent for her entire life, she began attending protests at a young age with her family in order to make insulin more accessible. Later, at only 14 years old, she founded Tremendas, an organization which connects young activists from Latin America to work on theUnited Nations’s 17 sustainable development goals. Currently, she is a member of the United Nations Women’s Generation Equality Youth Task Force which aims to give young people a voice in the issues that affect them.
Vanessa Nakate: Vanessa was the first Fridays for Future protester in her home country of Uganda, where she stood alone outside of the Ugandan parliament buildings for months to advocate for rapid climate policy reform. She also has spearheaded a campaign to save the disappearing Congo rainforest. She was chosen to speak at the Youth4Climate event in Milan and COP25 gathering in Spain. She is working to change white saviorism, which is often present in conversation around climate justice.
Tarana Burke: Tarana is best known for her work as the founder of the #MeToo Movement. For years before the MeToo Movement gained mainstream attention, Burke worked as a community organizer providing aid to victims of sexual assult. In 2017, she became Time’s Person of the Year. She is currently the Senior Director at Girls for Gender Equality. She has inspired several women to share their stories and begin their healing journeys.
Alice Wong: Alice is an author, disability rights activist, and founder of the Disability Visibility Project. She has been featured as a writer in the New York Times and Vox, and has a memoir coming out this year. She has also served as a member of the US council on disability. She is working to increase accessibility and to increase the participation of disabled people in politics.
Alicia Garza: Alicia is an author, organizer, and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. She is a political strategist working to give Black Americans a voice in politics. She is also the co-founder of Supermajority, an organization fighting for the rights of all women. Currently, she is a Principal at Black Futures Lab and the Strategy & Partnerships Director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance.
Nanaia Mahuta: Nanaia is the youngest Māori woman elected to New Zealand Parliament and the first Māori woman to be Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 2020, she helped lead New Zealand through its exemplary COVID-19 response by helping educate the public about the disease. She is also the first female parliament member to wear moko kauae, traditional Māori facial tattoos. In 2018, she was one of the BBC’s 100 women. She is also an Associate Minister for Māori Development.
Sources:
https://www.womensactivism.nyc/stories/8194
https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/vanessa-nakate/
http://tremendas.cl/sitio/#contactanos
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/08/these-7-young-female-leaders-are-changing-the-world.html
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/10/compilation-girls-to-know
https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/feminist-icons
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2021/3/compilation-women-leaders-we-admire
https://metoomvmt.org/get-to-know-us/tarana-burke-founder
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanaia_Mahuta
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