Pro-Palestine Ms Rachel honoured as Glamour Women of the Year

Children's influencer and activist Ms Rachel, real name Rachel Accurso, has been named as one of Glamour Magazine's Women of the Year. The announcement came after Ms Rachel shared a story on her Instagram about her difficulty finding a venue to host a party for Rahaf, a 3-year-old double amputee from Gaza.

Ms Rachel started her YouTube channel in 2019 to help her son, who had a speech delay. She shares videos on her channel teaching toddlers critical skills through songs and colourful graphics, with over 17 million subscribers. 

Recently, the educator has been using her digital platform to advocate for children's rights, especially for Palestinian children. Her activism has attracted criticism from supporters of Israel. U.S. advocacy group StopAntisemitism called the influencer, who has recently made a series of videos with Sesame Street star Elmo, a "Hamas mouthpiece" without evidence.

In May, Ms Rachel met Rahaf, who is receiving medical treatment in the United States after being evacuated from Gaza by the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund. The pair sang songs and played together during Rahaf's visit to New York.

To make Rahaf's visit extra special, Ms Rachel wanted to rent out a private venue to host a party for the young girl. However, three different venues refused to host the party as Rahaf is Palestinian, according to a video the educator shared on her Instagram story on Sunday.

Ms Rachel explains how hard it was to find a space that would welcome 3-year-old Rahaf, because she’s Palestinian.

“The person who owns the place was basically saying, because this little girl is like you, she’s not welcome here” pic.twitter.com/Ua3zJ8GENs

— Assal Rad (@AssalRad) October 26, 2025

One venue described the event as "complicated," while another initially agreed to host the party, sharing that they have a Palestinian employee. However, the venue cancelled, citing concerns for staff safety, despite Ms Rachel's promise that there would be no media coverage of the event.

Ms Rachel said she shared that the party was for a Palestinian child, hoping they'd make it extra special for the double amputee. Eventually, the educator found a venue she said "welcomed us with the most beautiful open arms." Ms Rachel didn't share the venue's name to avoid backlash for the business.

In her interview with Glamour, Ms Rachel shared that she is currently "thinking a lot" about Sudan. She said she is having meetings with organisations like Save the Children and the World Food Programme about children in the country, which is in the midst of a civil war.

Snow White and West Side Story singer star Rachel Zegler, who recently finished a stint on the West End as the titular character in Evita, was also honoured as one of Glamour's Women of the Year. Like Ms Rachel, Zegler has received online backlash for pro-Palestine advocacy.

Singer Tyla, makeup artist Pat McGrath, actress Demi Moore, and the US Women's National Basketball Association were also recognised by Glamour.