YOUTH BRIGADE

From Malala Yousafzai to Greta Thunberg, teen girls have proved they have the strength and determination to move the world. Here are a few more doing their bit

BUSHRA AMIWALA

Youngest elected Muslim public official in US

Decades ago, when Bushra Amiwala’s parents migrated to USA from Karachi, Pakistan, to start a new life, little would they have imagined that, one day, their daughter would end up being the youngest Muslim holding public office in the country, and a role model for Muslim girls and women of colour.

Born in Chicago, Bushra moved with her family to Skokie, Cook County, Illinois, when she was nine years old. Race and religion were always at the forefront of her interactions with her peers. “But it wasn’t until I became older that the conversations became more direct and the disparities clearer,” says the 22-year-old, adding, “I am lucky to have been raised in the diverse village of Skokie, where we were taught to embrace our differences. I believe that truly made a difference in the way my peers and I viewed issues of race and religion.”

Bushra was only 19 when she first stood for elections. Then an undergrad student at DePaul University studying management information systems with a double minor in community service studies and public policy studies, she launched a campaign for a seat on the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Though she lost the election, she gained a whole lot of understanding of the American electoral system, its politics and the issues that needed addressing. Interestingly, it was her opponent who inspired her to keep going with her political ambition.