HerVoice 2026 Writing Contest

HerVoice

HerVoice is EmpowerHer's creative storytelling platform, where students can publish their original writings and express themselves freely. At EmpowerHer, we believe in the power of words to heal, connect, and drive change.

"Many of our students have demonstrated remarkable resilience and courage through storytelling, using their voices to share personal truths and inspire others."

HerVoice gives them the space to do just that—amplifying their experiences and perspectives in a world that too often silences them.

Global Partners

With the support of our partners—including the National Society of High School Scholars (Atlanta, Georgia), and Amplify Afghan Women (Melbourne, Australia)—we are proud to bring these stories to a global audience.

Through HerVoice, every story becomes a step toward empowerment, visibility, and hope.

How to Submit Your Story

1

Write Your Story

Write from the heart, reflecting honestly on your personal journey, challenges, and experiences.

2

Review & Edit

Carefully review your piece for grammar, spelling, and clarity. Rough drafts may be rejected.

3

Prepare Materials

Include your story and a relevant image (REQUIRED). Insert the image or share a link.

4

Submit

Email to hervoice@empowerher-initiative.org
Subject: "Submission to HerVoice"

Important Guidelines

Content Quality: Write from the heart with honest reflection on your personal journey.

Image Required: Include a relevant image that connects to your story.

No Hate Speech: Submissions with inappropriate content will not be published.

Review Process: All submissions will be reviewed by the EmpowerHer team.

Eligibility

Who Can Submit?

HerVoice is open exclusively to students who have been accepted into EmpowerHer's Mentorship Program.

Priority Given To:

Students from EmpowerHer's Creative Writing and Storytelling Workshop

However, submissions are welcome from all currently enrolled participants.

Workshop Enrollment

If you are attending any EmpowerHer workshop, you are eligible to submit your writing.

Submission Process

Email your submission to hervoice@empowerher-initiative.org and include the name of the workshop you are attending.

Content Requirements

Word Count

Your piece MUST be between 900-1000 words
(12-point font, single-spaced)

Poetry Length

Your poems should be 40 lines and no more.

Due to a high volume of submissions, we cannot accept pieces that exceed the word limit.

Writings

Finding My Direction

Finding My Direction

This reflection describes how EmpowerHer’s Resume Building Workshop transformed the author’s understanding of her own experiences and achievements. Alongside lessons from The Alchemist and The Little Prince, the workshop helped her gain confidence, recognize her growth, and move forward with purpose as a medical student.

Fire Riders of the Mountains

Fire Riders of the Mountains

A poetic story about a mountain woman whose calm, stone-like strength hides an inner fire of learning, resilience, and hope. Through knowledge, connection, and shared courage, her inner flame grows and spreads to other women, creating quiet but powerful change.

I Hope I Don't Forget Myself

I Hope I Don't Forget Myself

This story reflects on a girl’s lost childhood freedom and the sudden silence that followed when her education and public life were taken away. Through painting, she transforms grief, anger, and injustice into art, using creativity as a powerful form of resistance and self‑expression.

Slient Girls

Slient Girls

A poignant poem portraying the daily life of girls denied education and freedom, showing their silent suffering, endurance, and the small but unbreakable hope they carry within.

The Winter That Never Smiled

The Winter That Never Smiled

Set against the wounded silence of Kabul and the destroyed Buddha of Bamyan, this story recounts the author’s grief, exile, and the tragic loss of a friend taken and broken by oppression. Through memory and promise, it becomes an act of witnessing and remembrance.

Through the Lens - The Day I Spoke to a Leaf

Through the Lens - The Day I Spoke to a Leaf

A young girl’s first encounter with a microscope in her school library becomes a life‑changing moment. Seeing the hidden beauty of a leaf awakens her passion for science and medicine, creating a spark that continues to guide her even after her education and opportunities are taken away.

Support from Our Partners

EmpowerHer is proud to partner with three respected publication organizations: Amplify Afghan Women, and the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). Through HerVoice and our partners' platforms, we aim to advocate for girls' education, storytelling, and creative expression. Our partners help our members publish their pieces on their platforms and reach a wider audience across the globe. With the support of our partners and their communities, we are creating a space where girls can share their stories with the world.

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