Malala Fund’s recent digital series “What I fight for” aims to create a safe space for girls to be themselves and recognise the power of their voice.
“What I fight for”, a social media content series launched on Malala Fund’s platforms, calls on young women from all around the world to share why they’re fighting for change. Activists include Bihamaal, a body neutrality activist from Pakistan, shared how she uses colourful makeup and fashion to inspire others to feel good about themselves. And Cindy Mu, a student in the U.S., filmed a piece about how her grandmother’s struggle to get adequate medical treatment inspired her to fight for health care equity.
“Girls are more than the causes they fight for,” said Mahina Martinson, Digital Associate at Malala Fund. “Through this campaign, we wanted to showcase and celebrate the young women behind movements — their lives, dreams, motivations and ambitions.”
After girls submit content to the “What I fight for” form, Malala Fund’s digital team reviews the content and works with contributors to edit the clips into short-form vlogs for social media. The series raises awareness about the challenges girls face, celebrates their joy and builds a global sense of community.
Whether girls want to talk about menstrual equity, climate change or conflict, Malala Fund prioritises the safeguarding of all contributors. In one video for the series, an 18 year-old girl from Afghanistan documented life under Taliban rule and spoke about how the ban on girls’ education affects her. Unable to attend school, she struggles to find ways to stay productive and tend to her mental health. To help her share her story on a global scale, the digital team used multiple measures to ensure her anonymity and safety.
“We will use a pseudonym, cut out any clips where it was very identifiable where she was, blurred out her face… and we asked her not to share any identifiable details about [herself],” explained Bhumika Regmi, Digital Director at Malala Fund. “We really work to create an environment in which girls feel 100% comfortable [telling] us to stop working on something because they don’t feel safe.”
The digital team will be sharing more girls’ stories over the coming months through the “What I fight for” series, demonstrating girls’ power to advocate for change in their communities
To watch the latest videos from Malala Fund’s digital series, follow us on Instagram and TikTok.
