Two hours a week just wasn’t enough. Elvira and the young girls she counsels needed more time to talk about body image, self-esteem, and career goals; topics they can’t discuss with their family or at school.

Sarah had a big task. She was elected by 1,300 classmates to teach sexual and reproductive rights, how to stop violence against girls in school, and what it means to be a leader. The then 16-year-old from Kampala, Uganda, rose to the challenge.

A local myth in Nirosha’s Sri Lankan town made her believe that a woman’s period is “bad blood leaving the body.” In fact, in this Buddhist community, some parents don’t allow their daughters to go to temple when they are having their periods.

The women of Coordinadora Juvenil por la Equidad de Genero are nothing short of a powerhouse.