By Akshaya Aalla
News Story: It’s Her Right
“And…Publish!”
I watched as the screen loaded and displayed a successful publishing message. I breathed a sigh of relief- finally, my hard work was bare to the world. I looked at my website with pride. The words “It’s Her Right” stared back at me.
My name is Akshaya Aalla, and I am a 16-year-old education and equity activist from Rocklin, CA. My nonprofit, It’s Her Right, is a student initiative dedicated to battling the gender gap in our democracy, and inspiring more young women to pursue a career in politics. By planning global, free seminars, opening chapters internationally, and drafting original legislation targeted toward the youth voice, we aim to create an environment where the new generation of young women feels empowered and ready to run for office, all while being equipped with the tools and resources that they need to succeed in this male-dominated field.
As a child, I tried every extracurricular activity imaginable, from piano lessons to gymnastics. Yet, nothing really stuck until I participated in the California Association of Student Council’s (CASC) Student Advisory Board on Legislation in Education Conference (SABLE). There, I found my calling, education advocacy. I was fascinated by the legislative world, and I loved the opportunity I was given to make a real change in my world.
During the conference, I was able to write my own original proposal regarding socioeconomic equity, present it to the California Assembly Committees on Education, and then watch as the CASC team worked to implement my proposal into California State Law. When I was able to see the behind-the-scenes of this process and work directly with legislators who all had the same vision I had, I knew that this was my future.
The day after the conference, I immediately went home and dove into the world of education policy and advocacy. I got involved in the California State Youth Council, I joined CASC as a Region Cabinet member, I joined my school’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team, and as I got deeper into the world of policy, I noticed the lack of female representation in our government. I did some research, and found that less than a third of our democracy was made of female members, even though 51% of our population is female! I decided that I needed to do something to address this issue, and that’s where the idea for It’s Her Right was born.
I began my work on It’s Her Right, working to provide more young women like myself the opportunity to experience the same wondrous opportunities that I had.
The next day after publishing my website, I woke up to see a notification. “…has filled out ‘It’s Her Right Join our Community’ Form!'” I couldn’t believe my eyes. Someone believed in my mission and registered to join my initiative! Slowly, members began trickling in over the next few weeks, and my pride and enthusiasm grew with every notification.
“‘Congratulations! ‘It’s Her Right Join our Community’ has reached 100 responses!'”
When I woke up to the notification that my community had grown to over 100 members, I was over the moon. It was a testament to the impact that my mission was creating, and it was a moment that I would never forget. Now, we have a community of 150+ members, all women who have been inspired by my message, and who have now dedicated themselves to creating change and battling the gender gap in politics. It’s Her Right has given me a sense of purpose and fulfillment that I never thought was possible, and I am excited to see where this journey takes us next.
Find It’s Her Right at itsherright.org, and at @itsherrightofficial on Instagram.
If you are interested in attending our FREE, VIRTUAL seminar on October 28, please fill out this registration form. You will hear from passionate women in the advocacy field, and learn how to be a powerful female leader in your community. Register today!
Akshaya Aalla is a Junior at Whitney High School, where she strives to bring passion and impact to her campus and community. Her interests include exploring the intersections of public policy, race and ethnicity, and education to better understand how they impact society and our school systems. She has an extensive background in democracy, currently serving on numerous youth boards and coalitions, along with working for multiple state-sponsored advocacy organizations to combat women’s inequity.
