Rose, 19, is a young girls’ rights advocate from the Philippines where she campaigns on issues such as girls’ rights, education, teenage pregnancy and violence.

Following a 12-month, Plan International-led empowerment programme, focused on influencing the Sustainable Development Goals to comprehensively address issues for girls and women, Rose was chosen to represent her peers and their work at the World Education Forum (WEF) in Korea in 2015. There she met with global leaders and spoke across a number of platforms highlighting the barriers girls face when trying to access education. Since attending WEF, Rose has shared her experiences and motivated other girls in her community to speak up about their rights, as well as working with the local government on a project focused on internally displaced people (IDPs).

Rose is now actively engaged on girls’ rights issues in her community, especially having experienced the impact of conflict on girls’ education, after children were temporarily forced out of her school. She is determined to seek solutions to ensure girls feel empowered and that their voices can be heard at all levels. Her dream is for complete equality in education, both in terms of access and quality.