Julieta has made it a mission to lift up young Latina women like herself on the world stage. (Esteban Garam)
Today is International Women's Day. This day is all about bringing recognition to the achievements, struggles, and rights of women and girls all around the world.
This year's theme is Break The Bias. It is a call to all of us to see the ways that females are still trapped and held back by prejudice and stereotypes.
Whether it is the right to go to school, get paid the same as men, or lead countries and companies, women and girls are often still not given the same opportunities as men and boys. This day asks all of us to think about how bias keeps women from living up to their potential—and to make some changes!
One young person who is determined to see change is Julieta Martinez. This 18-year-old activist from Chile is a member and founder of several climate and women's rights groups. And wherever she goes, she gets others involved!
Acting today, not tomorrow
Though she may be young, Julieta has been working in climate activism for years. When she was just 14, she founded the activism platform, Tremendas. This incredible organization is in 18 countries and has nearly 2,000 members. Its mission is to connect young female activists with one another so that they can realize their full power for change as a group.
Working together as a network—what a terrific idea!
But on her own, Julieta is still quite a force. She speaks often to raise awareness about climate and women's rights.
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She has also helped start the activist group Latinas For Climate and the educational academy Climáticas. These two groups are aimed at giving women in Latin America a space to work on both climate change and feminism. It all comes back to her determination to make positive things happen right now!
Take what she wrote in UNO Magazine in November 2020 about the importance of youth activists to not only the future, but today.
"We [young people] are the present because we understand that we are not simply spectators, but rather the protagonists [central characters] in a story of change," she wrote. "We’re bringers of social transformation, an active part of society. We want to be heard and taken into account."
Connected to change
In the end, Julieta Martinez is more than just a passionate young activist. She is someone who believes that many of today's biggest issues—climate change, women's rights, racism, poverty, hunger—are connected. But there is a positive side, too. Because while these problems affect each other, by addressing one of them, you can begin to help all of them.
"Education for young women is one solution to climate change," she wrote in UNO, "and it’s decisive for a sustainable future." This is why she is so passionate about starting women's groups like Tremendas and Climáticas. And why she's a huge inspiration to us on this very important day!
Help celebrate International Women's Day by watching Julieta speak about why promoting women's rights helps to climate action.
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