Zhanna Zharmatova
Patronus: Sloth
Fav Quote: All progress takes place outside the comfort zone.
Zhanna has been an activist organizer of regional girls’ initiative “Girls Activists of Kyrgyzstan” since she was 14 years old, fighting for girls’ rights and equality. She has also been an activist volunteer in Bishkek Feminist Initiatives. Currently an editor of teenage online magazine Boktukorgon and coordinator of Teenagers and Youth for Justice and Equality, Zhanna is a a self-taught artist and loves playing ukulele. She is still attending high school and tries to combine her studies with her activism, tough it can be hard sometimes, she admits. She stands for queer teenagers and girls, wants to support and empower them and “increase our visibility and rights to be who we are,” she says.