NO ONE is ever too young to make a difference.
When Kupakwashe Matangira realised that, it changed the course of her life.
The 22-year-old Hunter local has been selected out of hundreds of change-makers to sit on the new Global Youth Committee run by the Global Institute for Women's Leadership.
"I am absolutely elated, I am so excited to be in a team of trailblazers," she told the Newcastle Herald.
"I'm amazed by the young people of today - I believe that we are proving to be a powerful catalyst for change."
Ms Matangira said while she's on the panel of 17, chaired by leading youth advocate Chanel Contos, she hopes to give young people the tools they need for political agency.
"I want to increase representation for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds," she said.
"I believe that in order to change the world, we start by changing our communities."
Ms Matangira grew up in Maitland and still has family in Lake Macquarie, and has just finished studying politics, philosophy and economics at university.
She now works for the Australian Human Rights Commission and spreads herself between the Hunter, Sydney and Canberra.
Her advocacy work is focused on empowering youth and diverse people to make sure their voices are heard in policies that will affect them at the state and federal levels.
She said as a young African woman, she used her community knowledge to further intersectional policy that "represents us".
When she was younger, she didn't know it was something she could do.
"I always thought young people's voices seemed to be disregarded by society as a whole," she said.
"I thought I had to become older, or have a degree, or some sort of licence that would make people listen to me."
But, she soon realised young people care about the world and their voices matter, and has never looked back.
The Global Institute of Women's Leadership is headed by Julia Gillard, Australia's only female prime minister.
It brings together research, practice and advocacy to make sustainable changes in gender equality, especially in the workplace.
"She taught me that you can aspire to be anything in Australia," Ms Matangira said.
"I am beyond excited, I feel really lucky to be on this panel, I'm still pinching myself."
Ms Matangira said the institute was holding a free conference in Brisbane in October and would love to see young people from the Hunter there to engage with other activists.
