Crimes against women have been put under the spotlight following movements like the #MeToo movement that called out perpetrators who use women for selfish gains. Today, many young girls end up abused, accused, or harassed even before they reach the age of twenty. Women like Leilani Kristina are battling to ensure that this becomes part of forgotten history.
Leilani is an indigenous mixed-blood millennial who spent most of her life in Oahu, Hawaii. The women’s rights advocate fights against the exploitation of women and sex trafficking on top of her modeling and dancing career. Katrina has also worked with the UN Youth Council, UN Women at the Generation Equality Forum, and NYA Today, Mogul, Polaris Project and Gems Girls based in New York City. All this she has accomplished while also dancing and singing on theater shows and walking numerous catwalks every year.
Kristina also currently serves as one of the board of directors for a Washington, DC, law organization representing sex trafficking victims and sex workers. This driven passion for helping women have been exploited comes from a dark past that the dancer and rights advocate hopes will not be the case for others.
When she turned nineteen, Leilani Kristina moved back and forth between Los Angeles and New York to do dance work. Finally, at twenty-one, she found her niche in theater performing. However, that would open up a world of darkness, as Leilani would come into contact with someone who would eventually exploit, stalk, and harass her for many years. Thankfully, she would survive the ordeal and come out triumphant. But the experience would etch a mission on Leilani’s heart to fight against gender-based violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, and all forms of violence against women, including stalking, harassment, and verbal abuse.
From a young age, Leilani has known what it’s like to have to persevere through hardships. At the age of twelve, she was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which paused her pursuit of a career in dance and music. Two years later, she lost her hearing because of various ear infections and had to undergo an operation to remove a tumor. After six months of recovery, Katrina returned to dance and showed people around her that she wasn’t the type to back down.
Now, she practices that resilience in all of her life’s aspects, including her advocacy for women’s rights. Leilani is a highly authentic individual, often following a very “what you see is what you get” demeanor. She also pays homage to her multi-ethnic background and sees it as a major plus.
“Being a multi-ethnic person has always been a blessing in being able to fit in many realms, which has been most helpful in my work in human rights,” Katrina shares. “I believe there is always another way of being able to work towards your goals and dreams in life without compromising yourself in any way.”
Katrina also stands firmly on her faith as a Christian Jew and ensures that all she does stems from her beliefs. She hopes to continue becoming a strong force in the arts and entertainment while continually fighting for women’s rights and freedoms. Learn more about Leilani Katrina by visiting her Instagram profile and TikTok account.
