Youth Power: Health and Gender Justice From the Ground Up

Why Youth Matter

Young people aren’t a “beneficiary group”—they’re co-designers. In Youth Leadership toward Gender Justice in Nepal, we saw youth lead dialogues on consent, mental health, and access to services.

What Worked

• Peer-to-peer facilitation: Trust accelerates learning.
• Low-barrier spaces: Schools, youth clubs, online groups.
• Action pathways: Mini-grants and mentorship so ideas become pilots.

Lessons I Carry Forward

1. Programs fail when youth are present only for photos.
2. Gender justice is health justice—GBV, stigma, and power dynamics shape outcomes.
3. Youth data must inform policy, not just reports.

Closing

Investing in youth isn’t optional; it’s how we future-proof equity.