15 Year Old Activist Hannah Alper on Sexism, Deforestation and Changing the World

FASHION’s March issue is all about women who are in their element, from Big Little Lies’ Zoë Kravitz–who talks about embracing her natural beauty and surrounding herself with strong women in our cover story–to 15 year old activist and author Hannah Alper. Below, Hannah tells us how she found her niche at a young age.

When I was nine years old—six years ago—I learned about deforestation and animal habitat loss. I realized that animals rely on us to take care of the earth that we share. So I started a blog to talk about how to be eco-friendly. That was when my advocacy began. What wakes me up is knowledge.

There are global issues that need our attention. But there are issues close to home, like sexism or bullying, too. I was bullied a lot because of my activism, and one of the things my parents told me that kept me going was that I have the power of knowing who I am. An activist is someone who makes the world better; whether that’s by a lot or a little, it doesn’t matter. I love what I do. I’ve met young change makers from around the world, I’ve spoken with role models like Malala Yousafzai and I’ve been to places like Kenya and studied the issues I’m passionate about first-hand. I have all these tools and resources at my fingertips, so I’m going to keep using them as long as I possibly can. Changing the world is fun.

We all want to slay our goals, revel in success at work and at home and feel comfortable in our own skin...to truly be in our element. But that looks different, depending on where you are in life. Click here to see what being in one’s element looks like for women of all ages.