#HERforSHE

A gender and education equality activist, Rita is focused on supporting marginalized communities. She co-founded Period Pop-Ups, a local community project offering pop-up pantries with free menstrual products to address period poverty. Her dedication to a future of education equality started with Canada’s Refugee Education Council where she advocated for education solutions shaped by refugees’ experiences.

Now, the 22-year-old works to reduce the gender gap in schools as a Transform Education representative with the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI).

Raised in traditional Indigenous values, Autumn sees water as a living being, something sacred to respect. When she witnessed how Indigenous communities didn’t have clean drinking water, she dedicated herself to protecting the water.

Since the age of 12, she’s spoken out to world leaders like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the UN General Assembly and at the World Economic Forum, bringing global attention to the water issues in Canada. A runner-up for the 2022 International Children’s Peace Prize, she inspires young women around the world to take action.