Girl Up’s Regional and Coalition Leaders unite Girl Up Clubs and their communities in the movement for global gender equality.
Regional Leaders are typically college students, responsible for supporting the organizing and fundraising efforts of Club and Campus chapters in their geographic region. Coalition Leaders are high school upperclasswomen, tasked with hosting collaborative meetings and events for the Clubs in their cities, states, or countries. Both Regional and Coalition Leaders recruit and lead teams to assist in their efforts, compile action plans and budgets, and represent Girl Up globally –showing the world the power and value of girls.
“Our goal is to encourage our Coalition members to stand up for issues that they are passionate about, and give them the tools they need to help make a difference in their communities,” said 2020 Girl Up Arizona Coalition Leader Clara Moffit. “This year, our Coalition hosted our first digital Global 5K Fundraiser to help support the health and safety of girls around the world. We also hosted four Instagram Lives as part of a larger series, connecting our Coalition members to notable women in advocacy, music, consulting, and communications.”
There are 77 young women in the 2020 class of Regional and Coalition Leaders – nominated to their positions by Girl Up staff, and chosen for their demonstrated leadership, activism, and passion for Girl Up’s mission. This year’s cohort represents 18 U.S. states and 23 countries — Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, England, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Macedonia, Malawi, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, Peru, Scotland, Uganda, the United States, and Zambia.
“Being a Regional Leader has helped me become a stronger and effective leader,” 2020 U.S. Southwest Regional Team Leader Anusha Natarajan said. “I have had the opportunity to improve my understanding of gender equality and truly contribute towards its achievement. Especially in the midst of this global pandemic, Girl Up offered me the support and resources I needed to connect to my peers and friends, and keep my region engaged in the movement for greater women’s rights.”
Regional and Coalition Leaders are pillars of Girl Up’s movement, made up of more than
4,000 Clubs in 125 countries. They serve with Girl Up for a one year term, advocating for social good and driving global change.
The 2020 Class of Regional Leaders (Team Leads) includes:
- Andrea Villarreal Rodriguez, Latin America (Mexico)
- Anusha Natarajan, U.S. Southwest
- Arimbi Nuulatifa Yogasara, South East Asia (Indonesia)
- Ashleigh De Silva, Oceania (Australia)
- Betty Avude, Africa (Kenya)
- Bhuvna Arora, South Asia (India)
- Bruna Duarte, Brazil
- Bwalya Bweupe, Africa (Zambia)
- Chimwemwe Chiweza, Africa (Malawi)
- Gelila Biresaw, Africa (Ethiopia)
- Graziella Carvalho, Brazil
- Harsheen Vohra, South Asia (India)
- Isabella Veronica Silalahi, South East Asia (Indonesia)
- Jackie Liu, U.S. New England
- Juliet Nyarko, Africa (Ghana)
- June Wilhelmina Shimuoshili, Africa (Namibia)
- Izabelle Kansiime Lwamafa, Africa (Uganda)
- Khushi Gandhi, U.S. Mid-Atlantic
- Leena Abdelmoity, U.S. Midwest
- Maria Fernanda Gonzalez, Latin America (Mexico)
- Marina Thaisa Barbosa, Brazil
- Marisa Umeh, U.S. Pacific Coast
- Megan Koch, U.S. Rocky Mountain
- Melissa Aldana, Latin America (Mexico)
- Nehal Jain, U.S. South
- Phoebe Sennett, Europe (England)
- Rongxue Emma Shen, Oceania (New Zealand)
- Rym Badran, Arab World (Lebanon)
- Shennel Henries, Africa (Liberia)
- Simran Rawat, South Asia (India)
- Simran Sahni, South Asia (India)
- Sylvia Rodriguez, Latin America (Mexico)
- Tehreem Fatima, Canada
- Ximena Zapata, Latin America (Mexico)
- Xinyi Sui, East Asia (China)
- Yao Chen, East Asia (China)
The 2020 class of Coalition Leaders (Presidents) includes:
- Abigail Estrada, Chicago (U.S.)
- Akanshya Bhat, Northern California & Bay Area (U.S.)
- Akhila Boda, Ohio (U.S.)
- Amal Imran, Nebraska (U.S.)
- Anjolie Doan, Central California (U.S.)
- Anna Sohn, San Diego (U.S.)
- Annika Divan, New York City (U.S.)
- Aracely Alvarado, New Jersey (U.S.)
- Ayesha Patel, Upstate New York (U.S.)
- Ayushi Rajpoot, Georgia (U.S.)
- Clara Moffit, Arizona (U.S.)
- Darshini Babu Ganesh, Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area (U.S.)
- Emily Pridemore, San Antonio (U.S.)
- Esmeralda Esparza, Aguascalientes (Mexico)
- Giordana Montes, Peru (Peru)
- Ilinca Drondoe, Boston (U.S.)
- Isabella Olsen-Barone, North Texas (U.S.)
- Jana Arsovska, Balkans (Macedonia)
- Kelicia Massala, Quebec (Canada)
- Kristina De La Rosa, Monterrey (Mexico)
- Kunalika Gautam, New Delhi (India)
- Kyra Campbell, Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area (U.S.)
- MacKenzie Brown, Boston (U.S.)
- Marcela Kineret Rivera, Coahuila (Mexico)
- Maria Rezende, British Columbia (Canada)
- Martine Dosa, Upstate New York (U.S.)
- Maude Levesque, New Brunswick (Canada)
- Natalie Goldwasser, San Diego (U.S.)
- Navya Chintaman, North Texas (U.S.)
- Rebecca Stern, Pennsylvania (U.S.)
- Rujula Vikram, Seattle (U.S.)
- Salomé Beyer, Medellin (Colombia)
- Sarah Jackson, Alberta (Canada)
- Shania Hurtado Valbuena, Southeast Texas (U.S.)
- Shira Graubart, Scotland (Scotland)
- Sophia Terry, Los Angeles (U.S.)
- Subah Mahbub, New York City (U.S.)
- Swikriti Ghimire, Ontario (Canada)
- Taamara Thanaraja, Ontario (Canada)
- Tanushah Ramadass, Tamil Nadu (India)
- Winter Ashley, Arizona (U.S.)
