Zainab Choudry is a junior at the University of Texas at Austin studying Biology and Government. As a first-generation Pakistani woman from a low-income background, Zainab understands the working class struggle in America - and how women from her background are discouraged from advocating for their communities. It is widely accepted for women to stay silent and confine themselves to the domestic sphere - but that must change. That’s why she founded Irada: with the intention of bringing young women into the policy and advocacy space. Zainab worked for years at the Texas House of Representatives, where she supported the passage of bills improving healthcare access through AI cancer detection grants and maternal healthcare in rural areas. It was watching the passage of bills that restricted the rights of Asian Texans and reduced access to life-saving healthcare services for women that has permanently changed her. She also worked at the Alliance for Health Policy in Washington, D.C. where she educated Congressional staffers about pressing health policy issues and attended Congressional hearings. She couldn’t forget seeing women that looked like her being a complete minority in American government. Zainab has chosen to use her experiences to show other young women the beauty of being involved in politics, while encouraging them to run for office in the future. Together, our irada to reverse gender barriers will transform government systems for the better.