It should go without saying that girls have a lot of power. The problem is, society has tried its hardest to deny women the chance to lead big groups and speak their minds. This holding back has resulted in girls feeling silenced and as if their voices aren’t important. Eventually, we’ll have a female president — just like we have our first vice president. But the fact that we haven’t seen a woman in the highest position in our country is telling, especially considering how many smart and capable women are in politics these days.
Times are changing and women are being more bold taking space and sharing their voices. There are many young women out there who have inspired change in such creative ways. These are the born leaders — the girls who will go on to inspire the rest of us to take action. Most of them had an idea or an interest in something at a young age, and instead of letting their birth year deter them, they continued on with their quest for change.
International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month — both observed in March — give inspirational women like the ones listed here even more of a spotlight. But we’re firm believers that powerful girls and women deserve to be uplifted any time of the year. Women have done so many incredible things that often get swept under the rug.
Here are some young female leaders making powerful waves in the world in their own ways. They’re role models for our kids and deserve to have their work amplified.
1. Greta Thunberg
Let’s start with Greta. The 19-year-old has been an active voice against climate change for some time, but she made serious waves at 17. She is the leader of the largest climate strike in history. Over 160 countries took part in helping address issues concerning the warming climate. She also practices what she preaches, having traveled to the United Nations on a zero-emissions boat instead of using an airplane.
2. Jazz Jennings
Being a teenager is tough enough — but being a transgender teenager has its own struggles. Jazz Jennings, who was assigned male at birth, knew she was transgender at the age of 2. In June of 2018, she underwent gender confirmation surgery while also serving as a role model to those in the LGBTQ+ community. She also got her own television show on TLC and has used her spotlight to become an advocate.
“From the time I was 6 years old, I’ve been sharing my story. And you know, at first I thought, ‘OK, this is all going to come to an end one day and then I’ll be able to live my life.’ But more and more I realized that I was given this platform for a reason and that I have a strong and powerful voice,” she told ABC News.
3. Asia Newson
Asia Newson is proof that you can be a businesswoman at any age. When she was only 5, she started a company called Super Business Girl. She started by selling candles, but now, as a teen, she hopes to do even more with her company: to help build small businesses in her town of Detroit and teach other children about business and entrepreneurship.
“I’m in the process of hiring people,” she told Forbes in 2017. “I have different mentors to teach the children how to make their own money, but I need more. That’s my dream.”
4. Simone Biles
Aside from being an incredible gymnast, Simone Biles is also an activist. Back in 2018, at the age of 21, she wore a leotard in national competition to honor and acknowledge survivors of sexual abuse. Simone was one of the many abuse survivors of convicted USA Gymnastics team physician Larry Nassar. After she came forward to accuse him of abuse, she made it clear that she stood behind all of the young women who, unfortunately, had similar experiences. The color of her leotard was light teal, which is the designated color to represent survivors of sexual abuse.
More recently, Simone became an incredible advocate for protecting our mental health and sparked world-changing conversations when she announced that she was going to sit out some Olympic events in the 2021 games. She showed the world — and our girls — how powerful it can be to prioritize mental health, even when the world wants something different from you.
5. Amariyanna 'Mari' Copeny
You may know her best as “Little Miss Flint.” Mari Copeny just turned 14, but when she was 8, she wrote a letter to President Barack Obama about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and persuaded him to come visit and help solve the ongoing issue. She’s continued to help Flint thrive by partnering with organizations to make sure that the students in Flint have everything they need for a successful school year. She also has no problem making speeches, even at the White House. Who knows what else she’s capable of?
6. Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai is currently 24 years old. But when she was 17, she received the Nobel Peace Prize for her work advocating for education for everyone. Even now, many of her days are spent talking to underprivileged young women, trying to give them a platform to tell their stories. Her advocacy made her a target for organizations that don’t believe in women’s rights, but that hasn’t stopped her from helping other women reach their educational goals. She recently married and she continues to be one of the strongest voices for girls.
7. Mikaila Ulmer
Fans of Shark Tank might recognize Mikaila Ulmer. A few years back, she was on the show to promote her business — at the ripe old age of 9. That business? Lemonade. But Ulmer’s lemonade was different from other kid-run lemonade stands you might see. Called Me & the Bees, her flaxseed lemonade helps support the declining bee population. Without bees, our crops are severely in danger and she’s been not only directly helping bees, she’s been a strong advocate for meaningful change. Her lemonade is available at Whole Foods, and buying it is a great way to support young women in business. Now at 17, her work is still going strong — and she’s a published author!
8. Autumn Peltier
Autumn Peltier was just 13 when she chose to speak about water protection and the importance of clean water. Her main focus is on indigenous communities, who often lack clean drinking water. She’s become a true leader and has proven that people of any age are capable of speaking at the UN.
9. Bana al-Abed
Bana al-Abed, a refugee and author from Syria, is only 12 years old. In 2017, at the age of 8, she detailed what was happening in the city of Aleppo via Twitter, sharing her story with people all over the world. She was offered a book deal soon after. But she also used her fame for good — she made a point to try to bring peace to Syria by asking leaders worldwide for their attention to the matter. Based on her situation, she’s become one of the youngest activists toward change. She is a constant reminder that real people suffer during wars — especially children.
10. Sophie Cruz
Sophie Cruz’s fight to keep her undocumented Mexican immigrant parents in the United States is even more amazing when you realize that she started her activism efforts when she was only 6 years old. Around that time, she hand-delivered a personal letter to the pope to try and help stop ICE from breaking up families. Now, at the age of 12, she’s still one of the youngest people to fight for immigration laws to change.
11. Maya Penn
Maya Penn is now a young woman, but she started her eco-friendly clothing business back when she was only 8. She’s gotten an incredible amount of attention for her environmentally friendly ideas and was even named a SuperSoul 100 Entrepreneur by Oprah a few years back. She’s not even 21 but has already led her own TED Talk. Most recently, she started a nonprofit, which she calls Maya’s Ideas 4 the Planet. Suffice it to say, she’s going places.
12. Rebekah Bruesehoff
“Rebekah stumbled into public advocacy as the cute little girl with pink hair holding a sign that said, ‘I’m the scary transgender person the media warned you about,'” her website proudly states. At the time, Rebekah was 10 years old. Now a teenager, her advocacy for trans rights continues to show the world that even the smallest people can have the loudest voice.
13. Khloe Thompson
Khloe Thompson was just 8 when she found out how many people struggle with home insecurity. She saw so many families and women sleeping on the streets in her community of Irvine, California, and immediately knew she wanted to help. Her age didn’t stop her from dreaming big ways she can change the world, and that’s how her nonprofit, Khloe Kares, was born. Through her organization, she distributes “Kare Bags” to the community that are filled with necessities and toiletries in a handmade bag.
14. Latifatou Compaoré
Eighteen-year-old Latifatou Compaoré is a strong advocate against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) after learning about the procedure from her mom, who herself was a strong advocate against the practice. At a young age, Latifatou decided herself that she was also going to become an advocate for ending FGM around the world. She uses her talent for singing and making music to raise awareness.
15. Isabel Mavrides-Calderon
At 16, Isabel turned to social media to connect with people she found to be particularly important during the pandemic. She also used social platforms to continue her advocacy work raising awareness as a disability justice activist and community organizer. She uses her voice to fight against ableist systems and for public awareness and policy change.
