Amanda Amaeshi

Amanda is an 18-year-old British-Nigerian whose advocacy journey began when, as a Year of Young People 2018 ambassador, she would speak out on issues that mattered to young people. Amanda has been a member of the Girlguiding Advocate Panel since October 2019, and speaks out on issues that matter such as sexual harassment, mental health, and the importance of centring girls and young women in decision-making. She is a Young Spokesperson for Girlguiding Scotland, and a member of the First Minister's National Advisory Council on Women and Girls.

From an early age, Amanda has been keen on speaking out about social issues. Through her writing, she has raised awareness on a variety of issues, from the lack of women in STEM and the harms of fast fashion to period poverty and the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement. She won the Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) competition, writing about problems and potential solutions concerning food waste in Scotland and has written for websites such as the Scottish BPOC Writers Network and the Scottish Feminist Bloggers Network.

One action Amanda would like everyone to take:

“I know that there are many talented young people out there, so hopefully, the work I’ve done will inspire others, especially those from ethnic minority groups, to contribute positively to society in their own way too. After all, everyone’s voice, regardless of who they are or where they come from, is important and deserves to be heard. And I believe that if we all work together to fight injustice in the world, we will leave the world a better place than how we found it.”

Follow Amanda on Twitter.