About the 2024 Young Advocates

Aurora, 18, Norway

Aurora is a high school senior with plans to study politics, international relations, or anthropology. At age 14, she published an opinion piece in one of Norway’s largest newspapers on sexual harassment and the need for comprehensive sexual education, sparking a deep passion for women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). By 15, Aurora became a youth ambassador for Plan International Norway’s campaign against child marriage and joined their Youth Advisory Panel as a junior advisor on SRHR and political coordinator.

Aurora’s mission is to ensure that every girl has the right to a dignified education, autonomy over their lives, and inclusion in decision-making processes, particularly for marginalized groups in SRHR contexts. Through advocacy, including participation in this year’s EWAG, she continues to fight for the dismantling of harmful gender norms on a global scale.

Cecilia, 27, Spain

Cecilia is a committed advocate for feminist security, with a strong academic foundation and a wealth of international experience. She holds a Master’s degree in Security, Intelligence, and Strategic Studies, and is currently completing another in Gender and Intersectionality. Her professional journey includes roles at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Institute of International Relations in Prague, and the European Commission.

Now based in Brussels, Cecilia works remotely at UN Women Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean, where she provides technical support in strategic planning and interinstitutional coordination across Latin America and the Caribbean. Driven by her passion for social justice, Cecilia has lived in seven countries outside of Spain, continuously pursuing her professional and personal aspirations to make a meaningful impact in the world.

Ciara, 19, Ireland

At 19, Ciara has already made a mark as a dedicated advocate from Ireland. They were a finalist for the prestigious Undergraduate of the Year Award in their first year at university. At 17, Ciara began serving as a Youth Advisor for Plan International Ireland, representing the group on international platforms like the United Nations and Garda Siochana Headquarters. Their recent selection as a Youth Advisor for Plan International highlights their global impact, and they are excited to contribute to the 2024 International Day of the Girl campaign.

Ciara is a second-year student at Trinity College Dublin, studying Philosophy, Political Science, Economics, and Sociology. With a focus on Sociology and Economics, they seek to address societal issues. Ciara works at the university’s Dignity, Respect & Consent Service, advocating for a safe campus, and serves as the Liaison Officer for the Ability Co_Op, supporting disability rights and campus advocacy. 

Passionate about human rights, Ciara prioritizes gender equality, disability, and mental health. They focus on taking a compassionate approach and are keen to understand the intersections of these issues. They have hence worked with LGBTQIA rights, refugee rights, equal education access, climate justice, youth voting practices, cultural promotion, and youth work.

Dameli, 20, Kazakhstan

Dameli is a 20 year old young advocate from Kazakhstan. She has been a volunteer and trainer with KMPA (the Kazakhstan Association on Sexual and Reproductive Health) since 2020, she is on the YSAFE Steering Committee, an EU Girls Week youth advocate for girl’s rights and SRHR and a youth advocate in the #AWorldWhere campaign of Countdown 2030 Europe. Dameli also conducts trainings for adolescents of different age groups on reproductive health, protection of personal boundaries as part of the Territory of Creativity project. She leads digital sexed projects and creates inclusive content. She is interested in public policy, SRHR for youth, and their healthcare access.

Donya, 24, Belgium

Donya, is a Belgian youth activist with Iranian roots and has served as a Youth Ambassador for the ONE Campaign for over one and a half years. She is completing her Master’s in International Relations and a Master’s in Conflict & Development Studies. Guided by passion and deep empathy, she has worked with several non-profits and student departments like Equal Opportunities. Donya’s experience spans organizations focused on human rights, international solidarity, and a knowledge and advisory center on sexual misconduct. Her ambition is to safeguard bodily autonomy, ensuring every girl and woman has the freedom to make empowered decisions about their own lives. Passionate about sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), she advocates for the intersectionality between SRHR and human rights.

Emma, 30, France

Emma is a 30-year old holding nationality from France, the United Kingdom and Burkina Faso. Currently based in Brussels, she is a Youth Ambassador for the ONE Campaign, and has worked in health, education and gender equality policies. She has actively volunteered for local organisations in the city and the Red Cross in Portugal, supporting projects for the social and economic inclusion of vulnerable communities. 

Passionate about women’s economic empowerment in particular, Emma studied two Masters in Economic intelligence and in Microfinance. Her previous role at the EU’s largest women’s rights NGO deepened her commitment to gender equality and feminist economics. Now, she manages projects focused on financial inclusion and education, and sustainable finance, continuing to advocate for economic opportunities for women. 

Hawi Girma, 27, Ethiopia

Hawi Girma Megersa was born and raised in Southwest Shewa Zone, Woliso Town, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Hawi developed a strong foundation in accounts and budget support at Gage College, and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in human resource management at Admas University. With a total of 6 years of work experience, Hawi has spent the last 4 years serving as a peer educator in the industrial parks of Ethiopia in collaboration with DSW Ethiopia, making positive impacts on the lives of workers in the garment industry.

As part of her HR executive role as well, Hawi provides training on the integration of sexual and reproductive health services to employees. She firmly believes that prioritising the health and well-being of workers through comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services is crucial, and is committed to empowering individuals with SRH knowledge and tools to make informed decisions about their well-being. A firm believer in the power of education and always looking for ways to give back to my community, Hawi is excited about the future and is always looking for new opportunities to grow and learn, and make a positive impact on the world around her.

Heart, 17, Philippines

Heart is a 17-year-old girl from the Philippines, who is a member of the Children’s Advisory Team at Save the Children Philippines. Heart is also a City Child Representative of General Santos City, and very actively involved in many community and school activities, such as a radio program pertaining Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children, and a Responsible Adolescence Symposium. Heart has 11 dogs at home and overall, she considers herself a simple girl with a resilient spirit, constantly pushing herself to overcome obstacles and work towards achieving her goals – her dream is to become a doctor specialised in kidney diseases.

Since she was a child, Heart has been aiming to make a positive difference in the lives of others. This has also helped her to grow as a person and built her resilience when she faced hardships in her own life. Her early involvement in causes linked to the welfare of children made her more determined to make a difference and being passionate to help voice out the problems faced by young people in her community and beyond. Having witnessed the transformative power of amplifying voices and working collectively towards solutions has made Heart even more determined to contribute to meaningful change on a larger scale. Participating in the Global GACB would allow me to amplify the voices of young individuals from diverse backgrounds on a global platform. It would provide an Invaluable opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals who share a common goal of making the world a better place for children and youth.

Imitnan, 25, Spain

Imtinan is a Youth ambassador with Save a girl Save a Generation focusing on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) from Madrid, Spain and a Youth Ambassador at the END FGM European Network. Born and raised in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, she moved with her family to Spain at the age of 17 to pursue her future studies after high school. Currently she’s studying her bachelor’s degree in Civil and Territorial Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Madrid.

Originally from Yemen, her ambition is to end FGM on young girls and women through advocacy and education, preventing future generations, from having to go through this harmful practise, also raising awareness in regions where it is still practised.

Isaure, 26, France

Isaure is a young advocate from France, dedicated to advancing the rights of women and girls. From a young age she has been interested in questions of equality and rights. As a teenager, she volunteered at her local family planning centre, offering support and advice to other young people on sexual and reproductive health. Later, after finishing her undergraduate studies in humanities, she moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland to work with grassroots organisations campaigning for abortion rights, which at the time was still criminalised.

Since then, she has completed a Master’s degree in International Relations, and has worked as an advocate at NGOs in Paris and Brussels focusing on mental health and patients’ rights. Isaure wants to see a world in which everyone has access to sexual and reproductive healthcare that is free, safe, legal and local.

Mirriam, 17, Zambia

Mirriam is a passionate 16 years old climate change ambassador and a contributor to the Generation Hope campaign, gender equality, and child participation. Mirriam has taken part in different activities to do with children’s rights such as the National Children’s Parliament, the World Children’s Day commemorations, participating in the symposium on the day of the African Child, and a member of the organising committee for the Summit for Democracy in 2022 and 2023.

Mirriam is also a member of the Children’s News Agency, a project under the Media Network on Child Rights and Development. She received training in public speaking, writing articles for newspapers and magazines, and news gathering. She is now a youth reporter for Lusaka under Agents of Change Foundation on Mental Health Awareness. As a member of the Save the Children Global Child Advisory Body she wants to improve her communication and networking skills, share her experiences and learn about fellow peers’ experiences and be part in decision making roles on various issues affecting children.

Moses, 18, Kenya

Moses Kibet is an 18-year-old DSW Kenya young adolescent champion, from West Pokot County. Moses is a youth leader with vast experience when it comes to Budget and Sexual and reproductive health and rights issues, having served as the speaker of Kenya children’s assembly for two year terms. Moses has taken a lead role in advocating for SRHR and budget influencing in West Pokot, with experience in adolescent led social accountability, with the goal to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health.

Reagan, 22, Uganda

Aged 22, Reagan is a member of Kampala Youth Empowerment Centre, Uganda. He is an excellent advocate for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). He demonstrates a strong commitment to SRH advocacy through writing and utilizing social media platforms. He is engaged at national level and is confident and can engage in discussions on international platforms.

Romance, 19, Germany

Romance is 19 years old and graduated from high school in 2024. In addition to her work in the Salon5 youth editorial team at the ‘CORRECTIV’ media house, Romance is also involved at European level with the ‘Young European Professionals’ and ‘Ruhrpott für Europa’. She is particularly interested in development cooperation and international politics, where she is involved in the youth advisory board of Plan International Deutschland e.V. In the future, she would like to continue campaigning for human rights and working in an international context. A big dream for her would be to become a human rights activist.

Sarah, 21, Uganda

Born in 2003, Nankya is a youth advocate from Butayunja subcounty, Mityana district in central Uganda. She is a trained SRHR advocate. She has also received training on political decision-making processes in Uganda. Nankya is passionate about improving access to SRHR services and information. She gets this motivation from her personal experience as a young single mother. Nankya currently lives with her grandmother in Butayunja Sub-County. Nankya possesses a Uganda Certificate of Education and is looking forward to furthering her education. She is a confident communicator and always participates in group activities.

Sherifat, 25, UK

Sherifat is a MSc International Development with Economics graduate and also holds a bachelor’s degree in economics. Sherifat has experience in the UK civil service, non-governmental organisations and is currently a Research and Project Associate at The Better Org., an organisational development consultancy that works with charities and social impact organisations. Sherifat has been actively volunteering in her local community since she was 16, engaging with youth empowerment charities and local art galleries. Originally from Nigeria, Sherifat is extremely passionate about social causes within the Global South and African diaspora across the globe.

Given Sherifat’s background in Economics and International Development, she is extremely interested in economic empowerment of women and girls and promoting gender equality. In more recent years, Sherifat has engaged in activism and advocacy against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Sexual, Gender Based Violence (SGBV). Sherifat is dedicated to destigmatizing conversations about FGM and has notably contributed to research published by FORWARD UK and is a Youth Ambassador for End FGM European Network.

Viktoria, 22, Bulgaria

Viktoria Nikolova (she/her) is a senior at the American University in Bulgaria, majoring in Political Science and International Relations & Journalism and Mass Communication, and minoring in European Studies & Film and Theater Studies. An activist and a board member of the Bulgarian Family Planning Association, she passionately defends human rights, especially sexual and reproductive health rights. She has advocated before the European Parliament and the Albanian Parliament.

Viktoria is the Co-Creator of the platform One Click Away, which provides free mental healthcare consultations and consultations regarding sexual and reproductive health. She is a part of the Lobbying and Advocacy Taskforce within YSAFE, the youth network of the International Planned Parenthood Federation. She is a Junior Media Analyst at Commetric.