Girl Up

Aasha Khan, a grade 10 pre-IB student from Waterloo, Canada, is a passionate activist, social entrepreneur, and dynamic public speaker focused on wome...

Aasha Khan, a grade 10 pre-IB student from Waterloo, Canada, is a passionate activist, social entrepreneur, and dynamic public speaker focused on women’s empowerment and inspiring youth to engage with their community. At the age of thirteen Aasha started a small business selling women’s empowerment calendars designed by herself to raise over $1500 for Girl Up. Through social media, Aasha connected with women-led businesses to promote their products and raise awareness about women’s empowerment. Aasha is also a TEDxYouth speaker. Her talk on how to have a constructive conversation emphasizes looking past our own biases, in order to understand different perspectives and find effective solutions for global issues. She hopes to continue using her voice to better advocate for women’s empowerment and social justice. Her time spent with ChangerMaker Labs at the University of Waterloo, provided Aasha with excellent experience in collaborating with others to innovate solutions for community organizations. As a Girl Up Teen Advisor, she looks forward to having the opportunity to help other young girls overcome the discrimination and inequality they face as women. Aasha is determined that together we can find our passion to build a brighter future.

Since starting her GirlUp journey three years ago, Angela Yang’s advocacy and public service efforts center around the STEM gender gap and LGBTQIA+ ...

Since starting her GirlUp journey three years ago, Angela Yang’s advocacy and public service efforts center around the STEM gender gap and LGBTQIA+ rights. In her Los Angeles community, she has hosted a STEM To Solve summer camp with funding from the GirlUp STEM Project Award, held all-girl robotics lessons at nearby nonprofit facilities, and is collaborating with her fellow regional leaders. On a nationwide scale, Angela served as the 2023 GirlUp USA Summit emcee and an INSPIRE Session leader. Beyond the US, last fall, she was thrilled to speak to 100+ participants in the global GirlUp STEM Innovation Lab about her efforts starting the first all-girl hackathon in her area. Angela has also collaborated and connected with girls from Russia, Nigeria, and Colombia for an international gender equity forum, menstrual equity talk, fundraising efforts, and more. In college, Angela aspires to weave together her interests in computer science and political science as she continues applying empathetic mentorship and confident youth leadership to amplify GirlUp’s mission wherever she goes. In her free time, she loves binging mystery-comedy shows, jamming out to 90s rap, and making memories with her family!

Anya Govil is a rising senior at Indian Hill High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is captain of the volleyball team, student body co-president, editor...

Anya Govil is a rising senior at Indian Hill High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is captain of the volleyball team, student body co-president, editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, and a sprinter on the track team. Anya has been apart of Girl Up since 2017 by attending the leadership summits. Upon entering high school, she started a Girl Up club that focuses on combating gender inequality in education by teaching girls in her area how to code and fundraising for computers to give to underprivileged girls in her area. Anya is very excited to continue her Girl Up journey as a 2023-2024 teen advisor in hopes to educate herself further and impact more girls!

Charlie Levy is a high school junior at Saint Ann’s in New York City. She is a dedicated dancer, passionate actress, and aspiring writer. As founder...

Charlie Levy is a high school junior at Saint Ann’s in New York City. She is a dedicated dancer, passionate actress, and aspiring writer. As founder and president of Saint Ann’s Girl Up, Charlie is committed to advocating for reproductive rights and health, as well as combating gender-based sexual violence. She works as Director of Social Media for Befriended, an eating disorder support network, is a board member for PACT, a Jewish teen philanthropy organization, and tutors for ENGin, a foundation that teaches English to Ukrainian youth. Charlie is excited to not only strengthen her leadership and advocacy skills, but also to meet the enthusiastic group she will be working alongside while serving her term as a Girl Up teen advisor.

Cynthia M. (she/her) is a current high school senior who describes herself as leader, Florida activist, and movement organizer. She has ample experien...

Cynthia M. (she/her) is a current high school senior who describes herself as leader, Florida activist, and movement organizer. She has ample experience advocating as the Youth Action Organizer and Director of Communications for Women’s Voices of Southwest Florida, the Director of Manatee County for Florida Youth Association, and the Director of Florida at the Youth Legislative Action Committee. She has also activated change as a Girl Up Gender Based Violence Workshop Leader, Florida School Speaker, and LatinX Florida Youth Voice. She joins us as a Latina, first-generation American aiming to speak up for the underrepresented and committed to fighting for the basic rights for all humans.

Emmanuela Kumi is a 15 year old student activist, particularly passionate about encouraging girls in STEM and gender-based violence from the United Ki...

Emmanuela Kumi is a 15 year old student activist, particularly passionate about encouraging girls in STEM and gender-based violence from the United Kingdom. She was selected for a scholarship to The Knowledge Society’s 2022-23 Innovate programme, deepening her passion for emerging technology and equal access to education. Emmanuela is also part of her School Council and a Senior Prefect, running a campaign called Visible Voices which helps to amplify underrepresented voices in her community. She has been recognised with a Jack Petchey Award and strives to act as a voice empowering young girls like her to thrive and reach their full potential.

Eylül is a teenage human rights advocate from Istanbul, Türkiye. Her work so far has been through her own non-profit organization, ranging from orga...

Eylül is a teenage human rights advocate from Istanbul, Türkiye. Her work so far has been through her own non-profit organization, ranging from organizing resume workshops for women who seek to gain financial independence to fundraising for the donation of thousands of female hygiene products. Committed to bringing about the change she has wished to see in the world ever since she was just a child, Eylül strives to make an impact not only through activism but also through her work in computer science and the arts. Apart from activism, her time is largely devoted to conducting research projects for the good of humanity, writing and directing plays for the film and theater club she founded, and trying to get the most recent edition of the magazine Chai Monthly ready for publication in time.

Gabriella is a senior, student activist, and writer from Salt Lake City, Utah. She is passionate about all things having to do with reproductive justi...

Gabriella is a senior, student activist, and writer from Salt Lake City, Utah. She is passionate about all things having to do with reproductive justice, racial equality, gender equity, and cultivating empowerment through education and intersectionality. Within her community, she works as an educator for Planned Parenthood as a member of their peer-led sex ed council, serves on the American Institute of Research's national "Youth Engaged 4 Change" editorial board creating content for other youth advocates, and founded her school's "Girls of Color" affinity group. She's worked for the Library of Congress, developing resources centered on activism for their youth-focused exhibits, as well as local non-profits focused on legislative activism. Gabriella adores writing, art history, and anything by Sally Rooney.

Gloria is an inquisitive young creator from Kenya. She is passionate about football (soccer), STEM and connects them by their lack of gender equity.

Gloria is an inquisitive young creator from Kenya. She is passionate about football (soccer), STEM and connects them by their lack of gender equity.

Hi my name is Isidora and I am 15 year old activist from Viña del mar, Chile. I thoroughly enjoy STEM, specifically neuroscience and AI. Despite bein...

Hi my name is Isidora and I am 15 year old activist from Viña del mar, Chile. I thoroughly enjoy STEM, specifically neuroscience and AI. Despite being an overall scientific person, I enjoy reading and debating as well. Hence, I am keen on closing the gender gap in STEM and fighting for girl's education all around the world through public speaking and activism. That is why I founded my school's debating club and form part of the directory of an organization called AMUJI (association of women for ideas). Moreover, I have participated in MUN conferences, which rose my interest in cyber security rights and biases in AI. This endeavors, though seemingly different, share a common denominator - to build a community where every individual regardless of their background, can thrive on a level playing field. Empowering girls to be the leader they aspire to be

Kelly Chaves is a 16-year-old student from Brazil. She is a passionate advocate for education, gender equality, child protection and women in STEM. Cu...

Kelly Chaves is a 16-year-old student from Brazil. She is a passionate advocate for education, gender equality, child protection and women in STEM. Currently a rising high school sophomore, she is committed to her role as a class representative and firmly believes that education is the key to changing the world. Passionate about science, Kelly actively participates in scientific olympiads, where she has been recognized with awards and launched initiatives to promote girls' participation in science olympiads. As an education advocate, Kelly has been involved in various initiatives such as the Latin American Leadership Academy and UNICEF, firmly believing that empowering youth paves the way to a positive impact on society. Committed to global issues, Kelly is striving to contribute through her advocacy and passion to a more equitable and sustainable world. With a profound interest in medicine and politics, she intends to pursue either medicine or political science. Serving as a Teen Advisor for Girl Up, Kelly strives to be a voice empowering girls everywhere.

An Indigenous Peruvian activist, dedicated to promoting culture, defending gender equality and advocating for the rights of children and adolescents.

An Indigenous Peruvian activist, dedicated to promoting culture, defending gender equality and advocating for the rights of children and adolescents.

Lilianne Asokwah is a 16-year-old writer and activist from Mansfield, Texas. Her passions lie in mitigating period poverty and ensuring every girl has...

Lilianne Asokwah is a 16-year-old writer and activist from Mansfield, Texas. Her passions lie in mitigating period poverty and ensuring every girl has the right to an education. Lilianne founded and currently leads a Girl Up club at her school where she organizes annual menstrual products drive and works to engage her local community in intersectionality. Alongside Girl Up, Lilianne currently serves on her city's youth council and is affiliated with many youth-led nonprofits. As a first-generation Ghanaian-American, Lilianne cares deeply about geopolitics and hopes to pursue international human rights law at an NGO. In her free time, Lilianne enjoys binging reality tv-shows centered on love, ranging from Married At First Sight to the entirety of the 90 Day Fiance franchise and listening to Taylor Swift.

Luna Ramírez is a high school student and teen leader from Bogotá, Colombia. She is a passionate learner who aims at advancing sustainable practices...

Luna Ramírez is a high school student and teen leader from Bogotá, Colombia. She is a passionate learner who aims at advancing sustainable practices through the connections between gender equality, climate justice and environmental sciences. She aspires to work in rural development, environmental conservation and target the climate crisis by supporting girls to have greater involvement in climate action. Pursuing a career in biological and environmental engineering with an emphasis on development studies, she is currently a Research Editor at Youth STEM Matters, an international youth-led scientific journal, and has participated in the International Junior Science Olympiad after being awarded Second Place at the Colombian National Science Olympiad. Through her work, she has developed initiatives to advance the outreach of Comprehensive Sexuality Education to vulnerable communities, promote environmental education and youth advocacy as an organiser of COPinBogotá and worked towards peacebuilding and female empowerment through STEM as an Operations Manager in ASOFI (Women's Association of Innovation for Rural Development).

Hi! My name is Lutfiya and I am a 17 year old activist from Ghana. I am passionate about advocating for SRHRJ, Education, and Gender Based Violence an...

Hi! My name is Lutfiya and I am a 17 year old activist from Ghana. I am passionate about advocating for SRHRJ, Education, and Gender Based Violence and heavily involved with volunteer initiatives in my community. I love music and am hoping to improve my critical thinking and problem solving skills during my time on the Teen Advisor Board.

Hi my name is Nirvana Talukder. I am a 16-year -old high school senior at Sydney Girls High School. I am a climate justice and gender equality advocat...

Hi my name is Nirvana Talukder. I am a 16-year -old high school senior at Sydney Girls High School. I am a climate justice and gender equality advocate who's work primarily focuses on the intersection between the climate crisis and gender inequality. In 2022, I joined the Sydney and Australia (national) contingents of School Strike for Climate, the organisation behind the Fridays4Future movement. My work in advocating for a sustainable and equitable future extends through my participating in other climate committees such as AYCC. From here I have gone on to work with countless communities across the country to resolve issues surrounding climate justice, whilst working with grassroots organisations and communities by first nations and female activists to address key issues in the movement. From working with policymakers and government officials to students within the school community, to ensure the voices and concerns of youth are heard and addressed. Serving as the Public Speaking captain at my girls school, I value the importance of empowering and enabling young women to express themselves and create their own mark in the world, championing for gender equality and equal female representation in public speaking and leadership spheres. In late 2022, I launched my youth-powered organisation, Our People's Aid, a digital forum for storytelling that amplifies the narratives of women across the world.

Pranavaa Giri is a passionate 16-year-old Girl Up Club Leader and Teen Advisor from Tamil Nadu, India. Her Girl Up journey started in 2021 when she st...

Pranavaa Giri is a passionate 16-year-old Girl Up Club Leader and Teen Advisor from Tamil Nadu, India. Her Girl Up journey started in 2021 when she started her own club to advocate positive social change in the small city she resides in. She is currently the School Pupil Leader of her school, president of Girl Up TIPSE, an avid MUNer and speaker. Pranavaa believes in the power of creating cohesive solutions to solve global problems through research and debate. She cares about issues of Violence against Women, Mental Health and Education. During her downtime, one will probably find her listening to music (particularly Taylor Swift) and writing poetry in her journal, which she will post on her personal blog later. Pranavaa hopes to continue making the world more inclusive and to empower girls all over the world, especially in developing countries.

Saranya Singh (she/her) is a rising senior at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, California. Last year, she was the Girl Up Northern California ...

Saranya Singh (she/her) is a rising senior at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, California. Last year, she was the Girl Up Northern California Coalition leader and led 40+ clubs in the Bay Area, organized a coalition summit, and met with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representative Mark DeSaulnier to advocate for the “Keeping Girls In School Act”. As a Black Belt in Taekwondo, she is passionate about self-defense and has hosted many self-defense workshops for young girls, including at the Girl Up 2020 Leadership Summit and at Girl Up Sports Bootcamps. Outside Girl Up, Saranya is an active LD debater. She is president of her school’s Speech and Debate Team, the national organization for gender minorities in debate (Women in debate), and the national organization for low-income and small school debaters (Peptalk). In her free time, Saranya likes to read and play with her pet cockatiel, Don.

Saundarya Nair is a Girl Up Leader from India, who is passionate about SRHRJ, gender based violence and women in sports amongst other issue areas. She...

Saundarya Nair is a Girl Up Leader from India, who is passionate about SRHRJ, gender based violence and women in sports amongst other issue areas. She is an active part of multiple missions and projects based on climate action, menstrual hygiene, promoting gender-safe spaces, cultural awareness, and financial independence for rural women. She is also an enthusiastic public speaker, and has represented both Girl Up and Girl Up India in events ranging from The Pad Project's annual Bleed Green event to UNA-USA's InterGenerational MUN and YOUNGA's delegate training programmes. Her favourite Girl Up memories include interviewing WNBA star Candace Parker, leading an INSPIRE Session on intersectional feminist history at Girl Up's Global Leadership Summit, co-hosting a Summit workshop on the mental and reproductive health of female athletes, presenting at the inaugural Sports Innovation Lab, facilitating the GBV pilot programme and being a Teen Advisor in 2022-23 class.

Shanum Sarkar (she/they) is a student based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She is driven by social justice (but fueled by caffeine and raccoon memes :)). Dedic...

Shanum Sarkar (she/they) is a student based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She is driven by social justice (but fueled by caffeine and raccoon memes :)). Dedicated to creating a safer environment for LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent students, Shanum actively advocates for their rights. In her free time, she enjoys writing about pressing issues, delving into novels that have shaped feminism, and expressing creativity through painting.

Tessa Kiyonaga is a passionate advocate for social justice, education equity, mental health and juvenile justice issues. She is a rising junior at Sto...

Tessa Kiyonaga is a passionate advocate for social justice, education equity, mental health and juvenile justice issues. She is a rising junior at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Maryland where she advocates to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community as a member of the Morgan’s Message club and, as a member of the Denim Ribbon Project, works to raise awareness about rare disease. Tessa has been selected to participate in the National Sacred Heart Network’s Juvenile Justice service program and to serve as a high school volunteer at Washington DC’s Children’s National Hospital Center. Since middle school, Tesaa has been a member of GirlsUP, Inc., a DC non-profit committed to inspiring a deep and authentic sense of self in young girls. Throughout her high school years, Tessa has been a vibrant member of the GIrlsUP Teen Advisory Board, where she has served as a co-leader of its Communication and Team-Building Committees. In her free time, Tessa loves to read, write, bake, go for walks, and play the piano.

Tessa (she/her) is currently a junior in high school living in Washington D.C. I love listening to music (mostly Taylor Swift), talking with friends o...

Tessa (she/her) is currently a junior in high school living in Washington D.C. I love listening to music (mostly Taylor Swift), talking with friends over coffee, and traveling. I also row crew for my school and for my local club team in D.C. I love making new friends, talking about important topics, and learning more about the world around me. I’m so excited for this coming year and to be a Girl Up Teen Advisor!!!

Yehansa Dayarathna is a sports and STEM enthusiast from the UAE. Yehansa has been a basketball player for over eight years, significantly shaping her ...

Yehansa Dayarathna is a sports and STEM enthusiast from the UAE. Yehansa has been a basketball player for over eight years, significantly shaping her into who she is today. She believes that sports bring out the best in people and aims to inspire and empower girls worldwide to embrace sports and their many opportunities. She aspires to pursue a career in the healthcare and research field to help support women’s health and advocate to help overcome the underlying problems women face regarding their well-being, including mental health, period poverty, etc. Her love for the game and science led to many achievements, including being part of the NBA Basketball school in Dubai. In addition, she has won numerous awards for her achievements, which are, being on Live NBA TV and winning multiple international competitions ranging from olympiads to research programs! As a learning enthusiast, she believes knowledge is power and strives to help bridge the gap in STEM fields and establish gender equity. She has been involved with Girl Up for more than three years and founded the GirlUp@Dubai Scholars in her community. During the past two years, she has been allowed to grow her activism by participating in forums, podcasts, or meeting people worldwide. Yehansa is excited to continue her journey with Girl Up this coming year and hopes to have an impact on young girls like herself.

Zoe Lenz (she/they) is a student activist based in Arizona. All her life, she has been a feminist. Zoe works to make her school, state, and world safe...

Zoe Lenz (she/they) is a student activist based in Arizona. All her life, she has been a feminist. Zoe works to make her school, state, and world safer for LGBT+ students. She is the president and founder of her school GSA and literary magazine, and the Vice President of the Herstory/Girl Up club. In her free time, she likes to read, write, act in local and school plays, and spend time with friends.