"There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women.” — Malala Yousafzai
When women are encouraged to nurture their gifts and empowered to embrace their ambitions, they can truly change the world for the better. Upworthy and Tory Burch partnered this year to help women do just that by honoring amazing women for their contributions and giving them $5,000 on behalf of the Tory Burch Foundation to donate to a non-profit of their choice.
Meet the 14 women who have been honored in 2021 for their diverse commitments to making the world a more hopeful, healthy, and just place.
Varsha Yajman: Fighting for Climate Justice
In high school, Varsha Yajman helped organize a school strike for climate action in Australia, which involved 80,000 people in Sydney. Today, at 18, she works at a legal firm that pushes for climate change equity. “Being a teenager, I believe it is my duty to fight for justice. Seeing people around me change their opinion on climate justice has been the most rewarding part of the fight,” she says.
Yajman donated her $5,000 to the Australian Youth Climate Commission, a youth-led organization building a movement of young people to lead solutions to the climate crisis.
Though 2021 has been a tough year for many, these impressive women and their organizations are giving back to their community in incredible ways. Empowered women inspire others, and if we want to see greater progress in our world, we need to empower more women.
Thankfully, that’s something we can all help with. Tory Burch and Upworthy are looking for more extraordinary women to honor, so if you know an empowered woman, nominate her here. Learn more about Tory Burch and Upworthy's Empowered Women program here.
Let’s all celebrate the amazing women in our lives and give them the gift of recognition they deserve.