Empowered to Empower: My Journey with She’s the First

Reflecting on my time serving on the Girls Advisory Council of She’s the First (now merged with Girl Rising), I am overwhelmed with pride and gratitude for an experience that has expanded my advocacy for girls’ rights and strengthened my commitment to creating a more equitable world. This chapter builds upon a journey that began during high school, where I first recognized the power of collective action and grassroots initiatives to make meaningful change.

My advocacy started with Girl Up Brazil, where I led efforts to address menstrual poverty. One of our most impactful projects involved collecting 10,000 sanitary pads and distributing them to individuals in need, ensuring girls could attend school with dignity and confidence. I was deeply moved by the stories of those who benefited from our work, and it ignited my passion for addressing systemic barriers that disproportionately affect women and girls.

This passion grew stronger when I interned at Brazil’s National Congress, where I contributed to efforts ensuring that menstrual products provided through public health policies reached the communities that needed them most. This work was especially critical for girls in public schools, where 1 in 4 girls misses class due to a lack of access to menstrual products. Witnessing the tangible impact of these policies on young girls reinforced my belief in the importance of connecting advocacy to legislative action.

Joining She’s the First allowed me to elevate this mission to a global scale. In 2024, I was honored to represent Brazilian youth as the youngest Brazilian delegate at the 68th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) in New York. At CSW68, I advocated for policies that prioritize girls' rights, especially in education and leadership. Later in the year, I had the privilege of speaking at the Summit of the Future, where I emphasized the importance of including girls in national delegations to ensure their voices are heard on the issues that affect them most directly.

Now, inspired by my journey, I am focused on empowering others. For CSW69, I invited three girls from Brazil to New York, giving them the opportunity to advocate for their communities on an international stage. These young women are members of the youth-led organization I lead, and they represent the future of advocacy in Brazil. Watching them prepare to step into their roles as change-makers fills me with hope and pride.

My time with She’s the First has been transformative, teaching me the power of collective action, global collaboration, and grassroots empowerment. It has shown me that advocacy is most impactful when it is inclusive, when it centers the voices of those directly affected, and when it is rooted in both passion and strategy.

As I graduate from the Global Advisory Council, I carry forward the lessons I’ve learned and a renewed commitment to amplifying girls’ voices. This chapter has not only shaped my career path but also strengthened my belief that when we empower girls, we transform societies.

To She’s the First and everyone who has supported me along this journey: thank you. This is not the end but a new beginning in my work to ensure every girl has the opportunity to thrive, dream, and lead.