Meet Six World Pulse Changemakers: Women Leaders Building Movements

From Nigeria to Uganda to Pakistan to the United States to Afghanistan, women across the world are leading movements rooted in courage and hope.

And every day, changemakers log on to World Pulse to share their initiatives, build connections, and seek the support to sustain their work. Through their leadership and vision, World Pulse Featured Changemakers Foluso, Jane Kwagala, Sheeba Shoro, Kat Haber, and Shataakshi Verma are protecting the health of teenage girls, ending period poverty, amplifying veiled women’s voices, mobilizing climate action, and using art to build agency for young women in conflict. Here are their stories.

In Nigeria, Dr. Yewande Omikunle empowers rural girls through dignity and education

Growing up in two rural communities, Okemesi Ekiti and Efon-Alaaye, Ekiti State, Nigeria, Dr. Yewande Omikunle witnessed how girls with immense potential were held back because they lacked basic needs and guidance. That memory shaped her life’s work. Through her organization, African Skilled Youth Advocacy for Sustainable Development (ASYAD) Nigeria, she launched Rural Community Girls to empower 5,000 school girls across South West Nigeria, supported by the Sarah Ayoka Oduwaiye Foundation.

The program addresses a critical barrier to girls' education: menstrual health management. By distributing sanitary pads and conducting sensitization sessions on menstrual hygiene, adolescent health, and sex education, Dr. Yewande helps girls stay in school and manage their health with confidence. One of her most powerful success stories occurred in Abuja during her doctoral program at the University of Abuja, where she personally intervened to prevent two early child marriages in 2019. Both girls return to school and continue their education.

Dr. Yewande logs on to World Pulse to find connection, solidarity, and resources that power her work

"World Pulse provides a powerful platform to share stories, influence policy change, and ensure that marginalized voices are heard," she says. "I can connect with like-minded advocates, leverage collective strength, and create impactful solutions that translate into real change."

Dr. Yewande is expanding her reach to supply sanitary pads across Nigeria as a way of promoting dignity and health for some of society's most vulnerable women.

Connect with Dr. Yewande Omikunle. Follow her impact journey and cheer her on.

In Uganda, Jane Kwagala restores dignity through menstrual health empowerment

In underserved communities across Uganda, many women and girls face period poverty so severe that some have never seen a sanitary pad. Others rely on unsafe materials during menstruation or stay confined during their periods. This silent crisis inspired Jane Kwagala to launch Flow with Dignity and Equality through Shining Hearts Africa.

Jane's initiative distributes free, eco-friendly sanitary pads, delivers menstrual hygiene education, and trains women and girls to make reusable pads, offering both a sustainable hygiene solution and an income-generating skill.

Jane logs on to World Pulse to spread awareness and connect with organizations that share the same advocacy.

“We would like to express our gratitude to World Pulse for providing a platform for our initiative to be seen and heard," Jane says. "We believe that together, we can make a difference in the lives of women and girls and create a more equitable and just society."

She is also collaborating with local manufacturers to increase the availability of affordable, sustainable sanitary products. Through this long-term approach, her work aims to expand access, reduce stigma, and support the health and well-being of underserved women and girls.

Connect with Jane Kwagala. Follow her impact journey and cheer her on.

In Pakistan, Sheeba Shoro turns whispered lives into a global voice

Growing up in a culture where women are often expected to remain quiet, Sheeba Shoro watched countless brilliant, resilient women carry their stories in silence. Their unspoken struggles, mistaken for weakness, became the spark behind Voices Behind the Veil, an initiative devoted to honoring the stories of women who live behind social and cultural barriers.

Through storytelling circles, digital platforms, and community conversations, Sheeba creates spaces where women can safely express themselves, whether through anonymous submissions, interviews, or small gatherings. Her work challenges stereotypes about veiled women and highlights a truth she holds close to her heart:

“Voices Behind the Veil’ isn’t about removing the veil, it’s about revealing the strength behind it.", shares Sheeba

Supported by local volunteers, students, and writers, Sheeba fosters collective healing to help women realize they are not alone. Each story becomes part of a growing movement of women reclaiming their voices, reshaping narratives, and reminding the world of their power.

In a country where many women hesitate to speak, Sheeba logs onto World Pulse to ensure their stories travel far beyond borders.

“World Pulse was a place of support. Here, I found sisters who made me realize that even my small efforts could become light for someone else", she says. " This community taught me that when a woman shares her story, she doesn’t just speak, she changes the world. I am deeply grateful to World Pulse for helping me discover my own voice.”

Sheeba is seeking collaborations with journalists, writers, educators, digital storytellers, and organizations focused on gender equality and creative media.

Connect with Sheeba Shoro. Follow her impact journey and cheer her on.

In the USA, Kat Haber drives a movement for climate awareness

From her Alaska bedroom window, Kat Haber watched Grewingk Glacier recede 98 feet every year. She felt a growing urgency: the climate crisis was no longer abstract; it was unfolding right before her eyes. This realization led her to launch It’s Getting Hot in Here, Earth, a 13,444-mile electric vehicle (EV) journey across the United States to show that long-distance EV travel is not only possible, but necessary for a livable future.

Her road trip has become a moving climate classroom. Through Rotary Club talks, community gatherings, TED and TEDx engagements, and steady storytelling across social media, Kat uses every mile to spark conversations about climate solutions. At each stop, she invites people to participate in Note to Self: America’s Finer Future, her ribbon-writing art project where anyone can write the future they want to see. She has collected more than 400 ribbons so far, and five people have already decided to purchase EVs after speaking with her.

Kat logs on to World Pulse to share her journey and connect with those who believe individual choices can help shape a collective turning point.

“Through World Pulse, I've witnessed & participated in miracles. These sisters taught me that our strength lies in our collective roar. ROAR!", Kat says. "World Pulse amplified our whispers into radical forgiveness cries, transforming silent sufferers into powerful advocates for collaborating our finer futures. Together, we regularly encourage each other through our stories. We are no longer just women with stories – we are the authors of a future where every voice echoes across the globe, where every tear shed becomes a river of change.”

Through comparing charging costs to gas prices, navigating deer-dodging detours, and even laughing through Tesla’s unexpected sound effects, Kat shows that building a finer future begins with women choosing to move with intention.

Connect with Kat Haber. Follow her impact journey and cheer her on.

In Afghanistan, Shataakshi Verma uses art to amplify silenced voices

Working with a young feminist collective across South Asia, Shataakshi Verma leads the Art of Freedom Project, which uses creative tools (zine making, visual art, poetry, and theatre) to empower young women and girls in Afghanistan who have been banned from education and public spaces since the Taliban's return in 2021. Through online workshops and mentorship programs, these girls find safe spaces for expression and truth-telling when physical spaces have been stripped away.

"We believe that art can allow those who are the most marginalized to share their own voices with the world.", Shataakshi shares.

The impact is profound. A 17-year-old Afghan girl used the confidence she built through the program to enter a public speaking competition at her school and won first place. Art created in the workshops is later showcased in digital exhibitions using platforms like Gather Town, bringing Afghan girls’ stories into global conversations and challenging the gender stereotypes that continue to silence them.

Shataakshi logs on to World Pulse to amplify this work and connect with women who believe art can reimagine what freedom looks like.

"World Pulse has allowed me to engage meaningfully with like-minded individuals and also learn from their own initiatives and impacts", she says. "It has provided me with the much-needed motivation and solidarity, especially in today's context and the world that we live in."

Her work aligns with UN Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security, proving that even when schools are shuttered and public life is restricted, creativity, agency, and resistance continue to find a way.

Connect with Shataakshi Verma. Follow her impact journey and cheer her on.

In Nigeria, Foluso transforms fashion training into lifesaving care

"Health should not depend on who can afford it," says Foluso. She organized a fashion training program for 30 teenage girls through her organization, Lush Foundation, hoping to build their confidence and entrepreneurial skills. But during the program, one girl quietly approached her with severe breast pain. Her family couldn’t afford a hospital visit, and despite Foluso’s efforts, she couldn’t access the care she urgently needed. That moment stayed with Foluso, pressing a question she couldn’t ignore: “How many other girls are suffering in silence?”

This became the catalyst for her initiative, Breast Health Awareness and Treatment for Teenage Girls in Nigeria.

Foluso partnered with Gender Alive Foundation for a boot camp with 80 teenagers. She integrated breast cancer awareness and health checks into the program. Out of 57 girls examined, two were found with breast lumps. Foluso arranged their follow-up tests and medical appointments at the University College Hospital in Ibadan to ensure early detection.

Foluso logs on to World Pulse to amplify her work and connect with women who support the same advocacy.

“Whenever the work feels heavy, World Pulse reminds me why I started.", she says. "The sisterhood, shared stories, and encouragement from this community have fueled my passion and helped me reach girls who might otherwise be unheard.”

Her initiative conducts school visits, partners with youth organizations, and hosts community sessions that provide clear information, basic checks, and referral pathways. Through consistent outreach and strategic partnerships, she's reaching girls who might otherwise suffer in silence.

Connect with Foluso. Follow her impact journey and cheer her on.

Share Your Vision. Become a Changemaker.

These six leaders remind us that transformation starts with one act of courage and expands when women find support, solidarity, and space to lead.

Get Involved

Do you have a vision for change? Share your initiative on World Pulse for a chance to be a Featured Changemaker!