Young Leaders Directory | The WOW Foundation

They're changing the world. Will you?

From climate justice to education rights, LGBTQIA+ visibility to ending period poverty, young people are leading global change, and WOW is here to amplify their voices.

The WOW Young Leaders Directory is a living celebration of extraordinary girls, young women and non-binary young people (ages 11–25) who are transforming their communities through activism. Launched in 2020, the Directory now includes over 149 changemakers from 61 countries, each profiled in their own words, sharing what drives them and how they’re taking action.

The Directory is more than a platform – it’s a global community of hope, courage and possibility. These young leaders connect online, exchange ideas, and even go on to become WOW Festival speakers and mentors for the next generation.

At WOW, we believe that young people aren’t just the leaders of tomorrow, they’re already leading. The Young Leaders Directory exists to spotlight their work, build global solidarity, and help them go further, together.

Explore 2023’s Young Leaders Directory

Jane Adisa Okelo

Smiling person with braided hair wearing a denim jacket stands in front of lush, green foliage

Afghan Dreamers

A group of ten women wearing black outfits with red embroidered patterns and bright red headscarves

Zahra Basil

Young woman with long dark hair and a pink shirt stands smiling in a park.

Sara Bonaparte

A person in a red sweater smiles warmly in front of a stone building with an arched entrance

Āniva Clarke

A young woman with long dark hair smiles warmly. She has a white flower in her hair. The backdrop is a sunlit forest.

Claudia Collins

Young woman with long brown hair smiles warmly, standing in front of green ivy leaves

Maria da Silva

Othembele Dyantyi

Smiling woman with braided hair stands outdoors in front of a rural landscape

Aya Elzein

Maria Esperanta Gaspard

Smiling woman with braided hair and off-shoulder checkered top, sitting in a relaxed setting

Silvia Gaspard

A woman smiling brightly

Romina Grigore

Smiling woman with long brown hair wearing a navy blazer and black top

Faith Guilbault

Smiling young woman with wavy brown hair, tilting her head against a green background

Ain Husniza

Young woman with shoulder-length hair and glasses smiling confidently

Onitina Iavotriniaina Raharimalala

Young woman in a light green shirt stands in a grassy field with scattered trees

Batoul Ibrahim

Maria Jose Palomeque

A confident woman with long dark hair smiles subtly

Nabiha Kassim Ally

A smiling person wearing a white hijab and red glasses stands in front of a blue UNICEF banner

Tian Liu

A young woman smiles softly in a close-up portrait outdoors

Chiara Longo

Floridalma López Atz

A woman in a colourful traditional dress smiles while standing next to vibrant magenta flowers on a lively street

Sofia Luna Quispe

A woman with a soft expression stands outdoors, wearing a brown sweater.

Britney Madondo

Young woman with braided hair and sunglasses on head, wearing a red leather jacket, smiles confidently

Olivia Mandle

A young woman with long brown hair stands outdoors, looking confidently at the camera

Aladeselu Margaret Ayomikun

Sophia Mathur

Noella McMaher

Smiling child with long blond hair, wearing a shiny silver jacket over a black shirt

Anelisa Mgedezi

Smiling girl with braided hair wearing a maroon hoodie and blue lanyard

Yola Mgogwana

A young person with short curly hair and a flower accessory laughs joyfully. Wearing a white shirt and necklaces, they convey happiness against a plain background.

Phuong Nhi

A woman with long dark hair in a ponytail, wearing a green sweater, faces the ocean. She gestures to the sea, surrounded by large rocks

Diya Payal

A person with dark hair smiles softly in front of bookshelves

Aminta Permpoonwiwat

Young woman smiling in in a conference room

Amna Quddus

A young woman with long dark hair smiles slightly. She stands outside against a window on a sunny day.

Thainá Silva de Paula Theodoro

Young woman with a beaming smile stands on a beach. She wears a floral dress over a black turtleneck

Yeva Skalietska

A young person with long curly hair stands by a tree, wearing a blue striped shirt

Marifer Treviño

Smiling woman with long dark hair, wearing a black turtleneck and checkered blazer

Lauryn Wanjiru Ng'ang'a

Smiling person with braided hair wearing a striped shirt stands against a textured concrete wall

Explore 2022’s Young Leaders Directory

Zayna Ahsan

Young woman in a white jacket smiling softly by an indoor swimming pool

Sapphire Alexander

Mabel Alie

Amanda Amaeshi

Adhara Ayndrila

Aeshnina Azzahra Arisandi

Aniya Butler

Ashley Chadamoyo Makombe

Sena Chang

Licypriya Devi Kangujam

Saoirse Exton

Grace Fong

Neha Gurung

Aseel Jamal Soboh

Marscella Ling

Ketsia Passou

Jessica Paule-Oriane

Veronika Podliesnova

Veronika Podliesnova stands on some grass beside a car park, looking into the camera with her arm raised to her face. She has long blonde hair and is wearing a pink knitted tank top and white shirt.

Sofia Scarlat

Polina Rubis

Anya Sen

Kai Shappley

Divina Stella Maloum

Sindhu Surapaneni

Rudaba Tabassum

Nelli Tarapata

Paris Thompson

Zaya Wade

Explore 2021’s Young Leaders Directory

Adebola Oluchi Aderibigbe

Nada Al-Ahdal

Yande Banda

Saiban Binte Shahaj

Saiban Binte Shahaj looks into the camera with trees behind her. She has long brown hair and is wearing a blue shirt and lanyard.

Favour Chukwugolum

Darien Dawood

Anya Dillard

Ana Malia Melanie Angeles Falemaka

Kimberley Fusire

Oumaima Guezir

Rebecca Sarah Jawara

Farah Kassab

Emily Katy

Emaan Danish Khan

Dohyeon Kim

Yolanda Renee King

Yolanda Renee King smiles at the camera. She has dark, shoulder length curly hair and is wearing a blue top and necklace.

Joanne Seoyoung Lee

Mariami Lomtadze

Sima Mangal

Emilia Massou

Isabel Mavrides-Calderón

Rochelle Meaden

Edelsin Linette Mendez

Mofiyin Onanuga

Emaculate Oscar

Hongyi Howey Ou

Selin Özünaldım

Gia Parr

Sunaya Amrin Rahman

Iram Rehman & Madeyah Khan

Mimi Ronson

Osroush Sabir

Aisha Saleh

Sanya Sharma

Jariatu Sillah

Khadija Uddin

Explore 2020’s Young Leaders Directory

Heba Rose Ahmed

Dola Akter Reba

Young woman speaking at a podium with a microphone and earpiece

Selin Alara Örnek

Peace Ayo Adegbola

Rym Badran

Rym Badran smiles at the camera with a bike rack behind her. She has long brown wavy hair and is wearing a grey check top.

Rebecca Butler

Gabriela Cerezo

A young woman with long, straight hair smiles softly at the camera

Supitcha Chailom

A young person with round glasses and a small smile stands outdoors

Amelia Chenzaie

A young woman with long dark hair smiles subtly while looking at the camera

Deborah Chumbu

A young woman with a neutral expression stands outdoors, framed by tangled branches in the background

Annelise Eileraas-Liu

A young woman with long dark hair and subtle makeup looks calmly at the camera

Yousra El Meeyuf

A woman wearing a headscarf and long earrings is shown from the shoulders up.

Lola Fayokun

A person speaks passionately into a microphone at an outdoor event

Maya Ghassali

Young woman with long wavy hair, wearing a black jacket, stands against a grey concrete wall smiling subtly

Sarah Ghassali

Young woman with long dark hair, smiling gently, leans against a wooden wall.

Nawal Haider Butt

A young person sits between two microphones, speaking with a focused expression

Ishita Islam

Imaan Jufeer

Smiling young woman in a red headscarf stands against a textured grey metal background

Srijana Kunwar

A young woman stands outdoors, wearing a colorful patterned top and a pink scarf

Saru Khadka

Saru Khadka looks into the camera smiling. She has long brown hair tied up in a pony tail, and is wearing a red top and lanyard.

Wahiba Lachheb

Young woman wearing a beige hijab

Catarina Lorenzo

A young woman stands outside, holding a handmade cardboard sign with colourful drawings

Iva Milošević

Viktorija Milošević

A young woman with long purple hair plays the drums in a sunlit room

Mariam Mohamed Hussein

A person wearing a peach-coloured headscarf smiles softly.

Agnes Mokami

Hayat Muse

Black and white image of a young woman smiling wearing a dark hijab against a light background.

Tawananyasha Musengi

Young girl wearing a black hat and a white tank top with a zebra graphic, poses confidently against a plain backdrop

Grace Namutebi

A young woman in a white shirt looks up at the camera with a soft neutral expression

Ariadne Papatheodorou

A young woman with face paint speaks into a microphone

Maryam and Nivaal Rehman

Alexxa Roderiguez

Theresa Rose Sebastian

A diverse group of young protesters march, holding climate change signs. A girl with face paint speaks into a megaphone,

Grace Salomy Sichula

Young girl smiling, seated in a classroom setting. They wear a patterned white shirt. Behind, a group of students appear engaged in discussion.

Seravi Victoria Silva Harris

A woman smiles warmly, wearing a vibrant orange and gold sari with a blue blouse

Jacobina Smith

Jaiden West

Smiling individual with short braided hair, wearing a camo-patterned shirt and hoop earrings, stands outdoors with blurred green foliage in the background.

Mishca Wright

Kate Yeo

Smiling woman sitting on a tiled corridor floor

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