This year, the theme for International Women's Day was #ChooseToChallenge.
In celebration of International Women's Day 2021, we asked how you #ChooseToChallenge gender bias and inequality for your chance to gain digital access to the One Young World 2021 Summit in Munich. The competition was open to all who are working to challenge gender inequality.
We received nearly 200 submissions from young leaders around the world tackling gender inequality, and shortlisted 4 exceptional young leaders who are passionate and committed to creating an inclusive world.
We would like to thank everyone who applied. The work being done by all of you to challenge gender inequality is so valuable.
The below shortlist was selected based on the following criteria:
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Impact
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Scale of project
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Leadership
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Supporting evidence
Meet the shortlist for One Young World’s #ChooseToChallenge competition:
Valeria Cerpa identifies and promotes safer public spaces for women in Arequipa, Peru.
In collaboration with the District Youth Council in Yanahuara, she conducts training sessions for her project called "Data for resilient spaces" where police officers are trained to tackle organised crimes affecting women and girls. She attends training sessions on data management for the city with the organization and citizen observatory Lima Cómo Vamos to improve research methodologies.
Majdi Tayseer Mahmoud Suleiman is the founder of Diamond Hands, an initiative that supports, trains and empowers women who are interested in handicrafts.
Diamond Hands aims to tackle displacement, unemployment and poverty in Jordanian women. Diamond Hands has given more than 70 courses for young people in project management, teaching them how to create projects from home.
Aye Thiri Kyaw is one of the leading Women's Rights researchers trying to amplify the voices of women from different backgrounds in Myanmar. Her research work promotes women's well-being and challenges gender inequality in Myanmar.
She is a co-author of 'Behind the silence: violence against women and their resilience in Myanmar. In 2018 she did a Ted Talk titled #MeToo Myanmar: Men of Quality for Women Equality, addressing the sexual violence, domestic violence, and abuse in Myanmar.
Anna MacLennan is the founder of Girl Power Politics, a youth-run nonpartisan organization. Their main focus is to introduce girls into politics, due to under-representation of women in government.
So far, they’ve introduced 30+ girls and non-binary youth to politics, reached 1000+ people through their growing online community, and partered with Day of the Girl to host 150+ attendee global virtual events. She is currently serving on the East Coast Asian American Student Union's National Conference Team and previously served as a Commissioner on the Hamilton County Commission on Women and Girls.
