LIFE

International Day of the Girl is today! We’re looking back at some of our cover girls who are making a difference in how women are viewed in the world. Get some inspo from these amazing young women.

Rowan Blanchard
Young but mighty, 2015’s Feminist Celebrity of the Year, Rowan is standing up for what she believes in and using her platform to enforce positive change. She may only be 14, but she stands for young people learning and talking about the world around us. Last year, she told GL, “Teens my age do have opinions and we are speaking out, which I think is so cool. By continuing to talk about issues that are important to us, we’re showing that we do know what we are talking about— and we’re willing to foster change."

Bethany Mota
Being one of the biggest and most successful YouTube stars gives Bethany the perf platform to mota-vate her followers! This spring, she chatted with us about how she’s overcome self-esteem issues, bullying and her fear of being her true self. “There are little things that scare us everyday, and really keep us from doing what we want to do. What I’ve found is that when I face one fear, I get into the habit of doing things that scare me…and I get a little closer to the person I want to be.”

Yara Shahidi
Changing the world is on the list of many things our current cover girl is looking to accomplish—and she's well on her way to doing so. The Harvard-bound smartie started her own group called Yara’s Club to bring young women from all ages and races to come together and bring about change. The Black-ish (and College-ish!) star told us this about getting in touch with others, “It’s a matter of connecting through personal experience, finding a way to relate to them and being open to having a conversation."

China Anne McClain
There’s a certain responsibility that comes with being a young celebrity. It’s your chance to either use your platform for good or bad, and China knows the importance of being a strong female that supports females. In our June/July 2017 issue, she remarked how wonderful it is to get to be a role model: “It’s a really beautiful responsibility to have. When you enter the industry, you don’t realize the impact you have being positive. But it’s so great.”

Dove Cameron
Dove is a girl of many talents, whether it’s singing, acting or dancing, she knows the importance of embracing being a girl, just take her song “What A Girl Is” with Christina Grimmie, Baby Kaely, and MissRemiAshten, for example—and she's only looking to create more change: “I’d love to get more specific when it comes to fighting bullying and address people’s differences in backgrounds when it comes to money, class or cultures.” 

Zendaya
Style icon, actress, singer, UNICEF ambassador and real girl, Zendaya, is no stranger to speaking up for what she believes in and taking a stand when faced with injustice. If you don’t believe us, just check out her social media where she shares her views with her 44.8 million Insta followers! “Sometimes it’s easy to speak up. Other times you have to sit down and really think about what you want to say," she told us last year. "We don’t always stop and listen to our hearts. It’s important to ask yourself a few questions: Should I say something? Is it worth speaking up? Take time to think about the impact your words can have."

Which GL girl inspired you to voice you opinions on female empowerment? Tell us in the comments below!

by Bella Torres | 10/11/2017