Hey Changemaker!

Japnit Ahuja is a dynamic force of change and the founder of Go Girl. As a machine learning enthusiast, social entrepreneur and dedicated educator, Japnit's journey is incredibly inspiring. At the age of sixteen, Japnit was selected by the Singapore Government for a fully-funded scholarship, leading her to complete her high school education in Singapore. This experience exposed her to new cultures...

Jinsella is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Demilitarise Education (dED). Over the past 5 years she has led on the development of a comprehensive model for carrying out university demilitarisation. This includes a treaty and the world’s first Universities and Arms Database which has so far uncovered over £1bn worth of UK universities partnerships with the military and defence sector. The...

Dr. Areeg Abdalmagid Abass is a Sudanese doctor and public health professional, with over 5 years of experience tackling inequity in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). Areeg worked with the Federal Ministry of Health as a SRHR Emergency Preparedness and Response Officer focusing to anticipate vulnerability and undertake measures to more effectively mitigate, prepare for, respond to...

The Hey Changemaker! Podcast is alive and well. We have a lot of interviews that have been conducted and many more scheduled in the coming weeks and months. However, those that are in the works will be published after the summer here in Sweden - coming back in September.  In the meantime, we will be sharing many stories from changemakers around the world via the Girls’ Globe platform. So, please s...

Dr. Eva Lathrop is the Global Medical Director for Population Services International (PSI), a non-profit global health organization.  PSI operates in over 50 countries worldwide, with programs in sexual and reproductive health, malaria, water and sanitation, HIV and non-communicable diseases. Eva oversees a service delivery portfolio that spans over 30 countries and focuses on sexual and reproduct...

Dr. Maureen Okango is a fistula surgeon from Kenya. She is a is a young, vibrant consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist. Passionate about maternal and newborn care, Maureen is not only a new graduate of the fellowship of fistula surgery, but also an Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care trainer. She is a principle master trainer of integrated antenatal and postnatal care as well as quality improv...

In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most ancient wounds of humanity. Cynthia Brix is the co-founder of Gender Equity and Reconciliation International . She is an ordained interfaith minister with a background in women’s issues and racial diversity. She has co-organized seven international conferences on interspirituality and two on women’s spiritual leadership across diverse religious an...

Amina Umuhoza is an entrepreneur, menstruation activist and champion of adolescents sexual and reproductive health in Rwanda. She is the CEO of of SAYE company ltd - a social enterprise that designs creative tools to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights for adolescents. Together with My Period is Awesome , SAYE has opened the Kigali Menstruation Station - a safe space for adolescents...

How can you stay hopeful when witnessing unspeakable crimes against women and girls? That and so much more in this episode of the Hey Changemaker! Podcast.  Ruchira Gupta is an author and activist who believes in a world in which no child is bought or sold. After winning an Emmy for her documentary on sex-trafficking, she set up an NGO called Apne Aap, that has helped thousands of girls and women...

Even in difficult and stressful times, one thing is certain we are MANY. We are activists, advocates, experts, allies, friends and people who want to say they did something. Encouragement and positivity is needed to continue our important work for gender equality, human rights, social justice and a sustainable and peaceful world.  So, I’ve taken to the Girls’ Globe archives to pull out positive an...

What's the status of gender equality in one of the world's most gender equal countries?  When looking at gender equality rates globally, Sweden has been in the top 5 countries for a long time. Internationally, Sweden has been known for its focus on development, aid, gender equality and human rights. The previous government even pioneered a feminist foreign policy. However - recent years have seen...

In most parts of the world, intimate partner violence is so frequent it can be called an epidemic. In South Africa, rates of gender based violence are five times higher than the global average.  Bulelwa Adonis is a multi-passionate woman from South Africa using her voice to encourage, educate, entertain and be a mouthpiece for those who cannot speak.  She currently holds a Higher Certificate in Co...

Understanding the anti-gender and anti-rights movements in Europe is essential to defending and safeguarding human rights and democracy in Europe and across the world - and for pushing for more progressive change for gender equality, human rights and in essence sustainability.  My guest is Neil Datta, Founder and Executive Director of European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights...

Storytelling is an essential part of the life of any changemaker, and it is a necessary part of connecting with our own humanity and the humanity of others.  In this episode, Sharon Kathryn D'Agostino, founder of SayItForward.org and co-host of The Power of Stories podcast, shares why storytelling is so powerful. We talk about the different ways (and why!) she is creating space for people, and wom...

It isn't easy to keep moving forward towards you dreams and goals - especially as a changemaker. In this episode, I share some simple things you can do to help you consistently move toward your goals and dreams. These small things can be life changing, and can really help you move forward this year.   

As you plan for the year ahead and set your goals, you’ll notice that you may have to start new habits or build new beliefs about yourself. You'll have to work through disappointments and failures. Even research shows that working towards your goals can result in an emotional and physical toll.  In this episode, I share how you can begin to consciously audit your mindset and the thoughts you have...

What President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia said is especially true for changemakers.  "If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough. The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them.” So, how do we set goals as changemakers?  In this episode, I share a strategy to set holistic goals that looks a bit different from everything we've been taught about go...

A new year is a perfect time for new beginnings - a time to reflect on our desires and goals, and to grow. For me, it isn’t about setting new year’s resolutions, but to tune in to my vision, my purpose and the big dreams I have for myself in the world. It’s about reflecting and creating an environment for positive change on a personal level.  Join me for the entire month of January and let's gain...

This year has been pain upon pain upon pain for so many. We are managing both direct trauma of a rangde of different crises or the secondary trauma of witnessing them unfold in front of our eyes.  For me, it has been incredibly important to name the trauma of being a changemaker, activist or advocate (whaterver you want to call it) in a world full of crises and pain.  In this episode I share some...

This episode is one that really looks into HOW to do socially transformative work in societies that are seen as extremely difficult and violent. My guest is Celina de Sola, co-founder and President of Glasswing International, an organization that addresses the root causes and consequences of poverty and violence in 12 countries across Latin America. They do this through community-based education a...

Dr. Maliha Khan is President and CEO of Women Deliver and has over 25 years of experience in international development and girls’ and women’s empowerment.   In this episode, Maliha shares what brought her to work for the rights and health of women and girls in particular. We talk about her new role at Women Deliver and taking over after the organization’s reckoning with racism and white saviorism....

Marit Törnqvist is an award-winning illustrator and children's book author. She has been involved with children's rights and book projects around the world. In recent years, she has worked to support asylum-seekers in Sweden and the Netherlands. On International Refugee Day 2022, Marit attracted attention with the installation 'The Big Loss' outside the parliament in Stockholm, where she had captu...

What if young people made the decisions on development aid? What if they led funding for the change the world needs? That's the world Nasra Ayub is working to create.  Nasra Ayub is a multi-award winning women’s rights campaigner, speaker and writer from Bristol in the United Kingdom. Nasra is a part of Global Fund for Children’s work and specifically supports the implementation of the Spark Fund,...

This episode is all about the importance of engaging in politics to fix our broken societies and create change ourselves, and I have a very special guest to help us navigate this topic!  Amanda Litman is the co-founder and executive director of Run for Something, which recruits and supports young, diverse progressives running for local office in the United States. Since 2017, they’ve identified mo...

Riya Williams Yuyada is a 31 year old women’s human rights and peace activist from South Sudan. She’s the founder & Executive Director of Crown The Woman-South Sudan, a national grassroots feminist organization that works to foster a future with zero tolerance for inequality, inequity, and injustice.  Riya is also co-founder of Play for Peace South Sudan, which provides technical support to the So...