At only 16 years old, Andrea Tusco Zegarra, from Bolivia, is a passionate advocate for social justice and gender equality. As a young leader, she has participated in many activities led by national advocacy groups and recently took part in the United Nations event “Girls Speak Out 2025”, held on the International Day of the Girl Child, October 11.
Serving on the Working Group on Girls, Andrea helped in the planning of this global event and served as a Moderator. During the session, she talked about the ripple effects of amplifying girls’ voices and called for unity and collective action. Her message was powerful: let’s unite to build a world where every girl has the opportunity to spread her wings and achieve her dreams.
When one girl speaks up, her voice creates a ripple effect that crosses borders and inspires other to rise too. Together, we are building a global movement – bold, diverse, and unstoppable, demanding a world grounded in justice, equality and dignity for all.
Andrea’s journey as an advocate began when she joined the youth group Colectivo Revolución Mariposa of the Good Shepherd Sisters in Bolivia. Through the program “My Voice, My Equal Future”, she built confidence in her voice and herself, learned to stand up for girls’ rights and advocate for change, while strengthening her resilience and critical thinking skills.
Before joining the program, Andrea used to be very afraid to openly express her thoughts and ideas. She remembers being a very quiet and reserved girl who tended to keep everything to herself and didn’t talk much.
The workshops I attended really helped me open up and express myself more easily. I gained confidence in myself — we are all human beings, everyone can make mistakes, it’s okay to express yourself as long as it’s done with respect.
She told us with emotion about her first time participating in the Conversation Circles:
I was very happy, very excited. When my supervisor told me I was going to take part in one, I thought, this is my chance, this is my moment — a chance to meet other girls, learn about their experiences, the way they think and live in their own countries, and also to share with them the knowledge and experiences I’ve gained over the course of my 16 years of life.
These conversation circles are an integral part of the “My Voice, My Equal Future” program and provide a platform for open and transparent dialogue, where girls come together to discuss issues that directly affect them, such as the digital divide, climate justice and violence against women and girls. Participants from El Salvador, Brazil and Ecuador shared their experiences, exchanged best practices, and collaboratively developed practical solutions to foster a more inclusive environment for girls across Latin America.
Andrea’s work as a leader has helped her grow as a person, as a teenager, giving her a clearer idea of the path she wants to take in life. She is now determined to promote the empowerment of girls, championing their leadership and their right to be heard.
Her message to girls around the world is loud and clear:
If you want to do something, achieve something, become athletes, astronauts, doctors or anything else — do it! Because it’s your life, it’s the effort you’re putting into it, it’s your dedication and your dream. Girls can achieve anything when given the opportunities!
