OUr story
Founders Rizina and Malaika first met in 2020 whilst interning and working for a social impact organisation in regional Australia.
HerFuture HerDecade was inspired later that year in November. It arose due to a prevailing sentiment among our female friends.
We wondered why, despite societal focus on empowering young women, in the form of conferences, events, and books, we didn’t feel empowered at all.
This question gnawed away at Rizina who decided to take this sentiment to a Professor at Stanford, and with their guidance, turned it into an academic inquiry.
With the inquiry underarm, Malaika and Rizina have now set out to challenge the current discourse and create tangible change.
Our Research
375
CONFERENCES REVIEWED
87
INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED
249
ACADEMIC ARTICLES ANALYSED
WHAT THE DATA IS TELLING US
We reviewed 375 conferences and events focused on women’s empowerment, particularly the empowerment of the next generation of women a.k.a. young women.
We found that no young women were consulted in the creation of conference agendas, questions for the speakers, or any other aspects of the events.
This pattern was salient elsewhere – in forums, book tours, government events, and even articles targeted at young women.
Young women are certainly invited with reserved seats and fanfare. But consulted? NEVER.
The result: Resources are poured into countless events for young women, without having ever sought what young women actually need.
OUR findings
Herein lies the problem: Successfully empowering any group, particularly one that has been marginalised, requires their input. Without the groups’ input, extensive research indicates that efforts will be ineffective or fail entirely.
So, we completed 87 hour-long interviews with young women. Like our friends, they noted that societal efforts to empower young women did not feel personally empowering. We wanted to know how they could; in particular, how did young women think societal efforts could be best directed to: (1) on a micro level, empower them, and (2) on a macro level, achieve gender equality.
We posed the open-ended question: What are the biggest things that would help you in achieving your personal and professional objectives?
Young women noted the biggest things as a community of like-minded young women; open, uncensored dialogue between young and established women; and an ability to turn one’s experiences and feelings of helplessness into tangible policy and action.
HerFuture HerDecade, created by and for young women, provides each of these things.
A woman's 20's are hard. You're navigating unfamiliar territory in an unequal and discriminatory world.
We need a guiding hand, but one that is informed by us.
aboutus
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Young women are treated as victims, as people who need assistance, but who aren't trusted to direct that assistance.
Let us tell you what we need.
Rizina Yadav
CO-FOUNDER
Malaika Mfula
CO-FOUNDER
Rizina is a student at Stanford University majoring in Philosophy. She calls Newcastle, NSW home, having graduated from Merewether High School in 2017.
Rizina received a Likely Letter to attend Stanford, awarded to around 20 students out of an applicant pool of over 47, 000.
Her work has been presented to the UK House of Lords, World Bank, and UN.
Malaika is a Sydney girl, born and raised. She has an Economics and International Studies degree and is currently completing her Masters in International Relations at the University of Sydney.
Malaika was awarded her university's Young Alumni of the Year Award for 2021.
She has worked in the social impact and women's rights space across Asia, Africa and Europe.
WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE
Direct Consultation: We were created in consultation with young women, having conducted 87 hour-long interviews with them, and are continuously informed by the voices of young women.
Academic Research: We are grounded in academic research, having consulted with academics at Stanford, read 249 academic articles on gender justice, and critically reviewed 375 other women’s empowerment initiatives.
Direct Democracy: Our empowerment platform is direct democracy in action. It is co-designed with government and enables young women to directly and continuously inform policy creation and feedback.