Yardena Gerwin

After months of combating doctors’ sexist assumptions and suffering a near-fatal misdiagnosis, Yardena was finally diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and a rare form of autoimmune encephalopathy. This experience taught Yardena about a pervasive culture of sexism and prompted her to advocate for girls worldwide through Girl Up, an organization funding programs that give girls an equal chance for education, health, social, and economic opportunities. Yardena created an effective board, a central roster for activists, and an organizational model for New York club chapters, while building a pipeline for new board leadership.

In addition to helping pass legislation like the Girls Count Act, she has initiated new collaborations with Seventeen Magazine and the Malala Fund. Selected for the Bronfman Youth Fellowship and a trainee at Bella Abzug Leadership Institute, Yardena was awarded the Learning Together Interfaith Youth Fellowship and received a grant from the NGO Awesome Without Borders.

Girl Up’s unique focus is on education, health, and a life free from violence for girls in developing countries, which we achieve by empowering and training girls here in the U.S. and abroad.

“It is never too late, too early, or too often TO GIVE BACK AND MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE”

2018 Award Recipient

YardenaGerwin

Girl Up’s unique focus is on education, health, and a life free from violence for girls in developing countries, which we achieve by empowering and training girls here in the U.S. and abroad.

Yardena Gerwin

Helen Diller