SHAKIRA: For the Children
As a young girl in Colombia, her father—in order to instill a sense of gratitude for her education—took her to a local park to see the orphans living there. The images stayed with her, and that day Shakira made a promise: “One day I’m going to help these children, when I’m a famous artist." The mother of Sasha and Milan—her children with FC Barcelona soccer star Gerard Piqué—fulfilled her promise in 1997, when she founded Pies Descalzos, a charity which provides special schools for poor children throughout her native country. And in 2010, the United Nations agency International Labour Organization awarded her a medal in recognition of being a “true ambassador for children and young people, for a quality education, and social justice.”
SELENA GOMEZ: Mental Health Warrior
The 26-year-old actress-singer understands, perhaps better than anyone, the pressure that some girls often go through as they grow up. “They teach us to be almost too tough: to be strong, sexy, and chill, the cool girl.” But that sometimes comes at a high cost—in her case, not recognizing that she needed help to deal with the depression and anxiety caused by her health problems with the disease lupus. Today, Selena is a strong proponent of psychological and emotional therapy, and says that Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a treatment used to improve communication, help regulate emotions, and teach mindfulness practices completely changed her life. “I wish more people would talk about therapy,” she concurs.
LAUREN JAUREGUI: Free to Create
The former member of the popular girl group Fifth Harmony uses her platform to raise awareness among her fans about issues that matter to her—human rights and education, problems faced by the LGBTQ community, and electoral voting. For Jauregui, who was born in Miami to Cuban parents, the word freedom has a very personal meaning. In fact in 2016, Billboard published an open letter in which she stated: “I am a bisexual Cuban-American woman, and I am so proud of it.” During her time in the group with Camila Cabello, Dinah Jane Hansen, Normani Kordei, and Ally Brooke Hernández, the 22-year-old felt constricted creatively. Since going solo, the Expectations and More Than That singer has begun exploring different genres and styles and is busy composing songs for her first album, which is expected to be released this year. “The process of making this new music has been so beautiful, organic, and freeing,” she shares. “I’ve been delving into myself and rediscovering my depth, voice, and interests.”