Education is deeply personal and important for many adolescent girls and young women across Africa. For Nthabeleng Ntsekalle, former HER Voice Fund Ambassador for Lesotho, this belief guides her work. She understands that when girls stay in school, their futures expand and that access to education is not just an opportunity, but a matter of rights and justice.
Education can open doors to opportunity, strengthen confidence, and equip girls with the knowledge and support they need to make informed decisions about their health and their lives.
Yet for many girls, returning to school is not always easy.
Gender-based violence, stigma, economic pressures and limited access to supportive services continue to push many adolescent girls and young women out of classrooms and away from opportunities that could shape their futures.
Through her work as a HER Voice Fund Ambassador, Nthabeleng has worked alongside girls in her community to encourage them to return to school, seek health services without fear, and speak up about the challenges they face.
Her advocacy has also focused on ensuring that the voices of marginalised groups, including young mothers and girls in rural communities, are included in conversations shaping HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) programmes.
“HER Voice Fund showed me what community girls could become when equipped with the right tools, mentorship, and intentional support,”Nthabeleng Ntsekalle
Former HER Voice Fund Ambassador for Lesotho
[From left to right: Group photo of HVF programme implementation in Lesotho; Nthabeleng Ntsekalle, HER Voice Fund Ambassador for Lesotho]
Nthabeleng’s story is one example of how young women across Africa are stepping forward to lead change in their communities, advocating for education, health, and the rights of girls and young women.
On International Women’s Day, celebrated each year on 8 March, the world reflects on the progress made toward gender equality and the work that still remains. This year’s theme, ‘Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls’ is particularly relevant to the global response to HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
In the 13 countries HVF works in, adolescent girls and young women continue to face structural inequalities, gender-based violence, stigma and limited access to health services. These barriers place them at heightened risk of HIV and restrict their ability to make decisions about their own health and well-being.
However, young women are also pushing back against these barriers and reshaping what leadership looks like.
Through the HER Voice Fund, a programme implemented by Y+ Global, adolescent girls and young women not only participate in programmes but also help lead them. The initiative supports youth-led advocacy, community dialogue and leadership development, creating opportunities for girls to influence policies, strengthen community responses and ensure their voices are heard where decisions are made.
Across the continent, this leadership is taking many different forms.
In Cameroon, other former ambassadors, such as Cynthia Wakuna, helped create safe platforms where girls can share their experiences and build confidence as advocates. Through mentorship and engagement with community stakeholders, young women have contributed their perspectives to discussions on HIV and SRHR at both the community and national levels.
[From left to right: Cynthia, HVF Ambassador for Cameroon; Group photo of the HVF team in Eswatini]
In Eswatini, dialogue itself has become a powerful tool for change. Ambassador Simphiwe Manhica has brought together young women, traditional leaders and policymakers to address issues such as HIV prevention, gender-based violence and period poverty. These conversations have helped challenge harmful norms and promote greater access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services.
Meanwhile, in Malawi, Ambassador Grace Ngulube has focused on strengthening the capacity of young women and grassroots organisations to engage meaningfully in national HIV discussions. She mentors emerging advocates and supports organisations in navigating funding and policy processes to ensure more young women can participate in consultations and influence priorities related to HIV prevention and SRHR services.
In Tanzania, AGYW-led outreaches and education, led by Ambassador Dr Hortencia Nuhu, have expanded adolescents' access to vital information. Through workshops, school visits and safe spaces for dialogue, young women have been empowered with knowledge about sexual and reproductive health, menstrual health and gender-based violence.
[From left to right: Grace Ngulube, HVF Ambassador for Malawi; Dr Hortencia Nuhu, HVF Ambassador for Tanzania at a workshop]
“When young women lead, communities change. Our HER Voice Fund Ambassadors are demonstrating that investing in the leadership of adolescent girls and young women is essential to advancing rights, justice and health for all,”Cindy Amaiza
HER Voice Fund Manager at Y+ Global
Across these countries, the stories may look different, but the message remains the same: when adolescent girls and young women are trusted with resources, platforms and support, they become powerful agents of change.
Through the HER Voice Fund, young women are influencing policies, transforming community conversations and strengthening the response to HIV and SRHR across Africa.
On this International Women’s Day, their leadership reminds us that advancing rights, justice and action is not only about global commitments, it is also about supporting the leadership already emerging within communities.
And when girls are given the opportunity to lead, the impact reaches far beyond a single programme or initiative. It reshapes the future for entire communities, with women at the centre.