10 Young Women Changing the World Right Now

March 8, is International Women’s Day, a global celebration of the achievements of female leaders and changemakers that too often go unnoticed. Whether you’re remembering milestone feminist moments in history or praising the badass women in your everyday life, International Women’s Day reminds us to acknowledge the strength and fight against the oppression of women worldwide. It’s a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come and how much we can still achieve.

International Women’s Day is all about unity, advocacy, and action. We’re kicking off the celebration by honoring some amazing young women who are unafraid to speak their minds and empower their communities to make a change. Because who run the world? Girls!

1. Deja Foxx, 18

You might recognize 18-year-old Deja Foxx from her impassioned testimony to former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake at a local town hall in 2017, which instantly went viral. Featured as one of Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 last year, Deja is a fierce advocate for accessible and affordable reproductive healthcare for all women, especially those impacted by poverty.

2. Nupol Kiazolu, 18

Nupol Kiazolu is the President of the Youth Coalition for Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, founder and CEO of Vote 2000, and a DoSomething member! Though already an active member of her community for years beforehand, Nupol’s experience at the counter-protests in Charlottesville added even more fuel to her fire. The 18-year-old Brooklyn native has been a leading voice on a range of issues, from gun violence prevention and racial injustice to voter registration, and was named one of Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 last year.

3. Mari Copeny (aka Little Miss Flint), 11

Mari Copeny began advocating for clean water in her hometown of Flint, Michigan, when she was only eight years old. Now 11, Mari is still fighting the Flint Water Crisis by crowdfunding donations and partnering with local organizations like Pack Your Back to deliver 750,000 bottles of water to date. One piece of advice she has for hopeful young activists? “Never let any adults dull your sparkle.”

4. Lane Murdock, 17

In the aftermath of the devastating shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, DoSomething member Lane Murdock posted a petition to encourage students to stage a walkout to protest gun violence. The 17-year-old never expected her petition would evolve into a nationwide movement, with more than 2,500 schools participating in the National School Walkout on April 20, 2018.

5. Emma Gonzalez, 19

Credit: Getty Images, Photo by Cindy Ord / Stringer

On February 14, 2018, 17 people were killed in a senseless act of violence at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Since then, Parkland students like 19-year-old Emma Gonzalez sparked the largest youth-led gun violence prevention movement ever and traveled around the country encouraging young people to register to vote. Her powerful speech at the first annual March For Our Lives will surely go down in history.

6. Sara Mora, 22

Even before the Trump administration terminated the DACA program in 2017, 22-year-old Sara Mora was a fearless advocate for immigration rights. As a DACA recipient herself, Sara knows first-hand the crucial role the program plays in the lives of so many young people. She has blossomed into her leadership role within the immigration activism community and is now the Co-President of Youth Empower, the youth coalition of the Women’s March.

7. Khloe Thompson, 11

Eleven-year-old Khloe Thompson dreams of changing the world for the better. It’s why she founded Khloe Kares, an organization that works to empower people experiencing homelessness, when she was just eight years old. Khloe Kares has provided thousands of Kare Bags to local homeless shelters, spreading positivity and compassion throughout her community. She showed DoSomething members how it’s done as part of DoSomething’s Supplies, Sealed, Delivered campaign!

8. Aija Mayrock, 23

Between the ages of eight and 16, Aija Mayrock was bullied heavily in school. Now, she’s a 23-year-old best-selling author, activist, and incredible role model for young girls everywhere. Her book The Survival Guide to Bullying blends personal anecdotes and inspiring tips to help young people survive (and thrive) in the face of adversity.

9. Marley Dias, 14

Getty Images: Photo by Mark Coppola / Staff

In November 2015, Marley Dias was fed up with the lack of diversity in the books she was assigned to read at school. So she launched the campaign #1000BlackGirlBooks with one simple goal: to collect and donate books that feature black girls as main characters. Since then, Marley has collected over 9,000 books and published her own, Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!, a children’s book about activism, inclusion, and social justice.

10. DoSomething members around the country

Our members inspire us each and every day. We’re giving an extra special shoutout to all of the DoSomething members working hard to create positive change! Here are a few of our young women members doing amazing work.

Kylie, 18, is taking back the prom! She searched sale racks to donate gently-used prom dresses for students who otherwise might not be able to afford new ones.

“Every young woman should be able to dance the night away with her friends at prom -- a dress should never hold her back!”

Amethyst, 21, is a voter reg. champion!

“As part of the two-year college student union for the state of Minnesota, LeadMN, we all registered 1,313 students.”

Asia, 17, donated bags of daily essentials like period products, soap, and toothpaste to her local homeless shelters.

“Women’s shelters are always in desperate need of items such as hair care products and feminine products. I saw a need in my community and decided to do something about it.”

Janice, 18, left encouraging messages in her school restrooms to help boost her peers’ self-esteem.

“I know a lot of people who struggle with body image and I felt like this was a great opportunity to help those around me cheer up and become more confident in themselves!”

Want to Do Something for International Women’s Day? Donate period products to a local shelter, create a female protagonist to push for better representation on-screen, or post positive sticky notes to boost your friends’ self-esteem!