By Imani Henrick
As a young Tanzanian woman who manages a radio station, I have long been passionate about championing youth across the continent. From digital rights and inclusion to gender equity, youth have a powerful voice in driving the agenda, and as they’re soon to make up 42% of global youth, young Africans’ voices must be heard and included in decision-making processes.
A few weeks ago, I was thrilled to attend this year’s Women Deliver Conference, which is the world’s largest gathering on gender equity. Taking place in Rwanda, I joined Fondation Botnar, a philanthropic organisation focused on improving the lives of young people in urban and digital spaces, to host their #RisingMinds Radio Show. This radio show aimed to elevate the voices that most needed to be shared, and heard from young people as they explained more about the work they are doing to shape the conversations around issues that impact their wellbeing i.e. digital rights, mental health and adolescent well-being
Through #RisingMinds, I heard from several young people who are working to address youth challenges on local and regional levels. This conference became more than just an opportunity for high-level discussion on potential solutions, but was a hub of knowledge sharing, hearing from those directly affected and meaningfully engaged in tackling the issues.
With so many young people playing an active role in addressing these global challenges, it is a failing that governments, corporations and policymakers don’t consider the perspectives of young people more. I strongly believe that empowering youth to share their views and experiences can have a transformative impact on society, particularly on digital rights and inclusion, as they play pivotal roles in shaping a more equitable and accessible future for young generations.
Also, I had the opportunity to connect with several youth initiatives and activists. Engaging in conversations with these young changemakers further strengthened my belief in the potential of the younger generation to bring about positive change.
In discussing Digital Rights, it became evident that many young people were keenly aware of the challenges surrounding online privacy, data protection, and access to information. Their knowledge of digital platforms and their implications for human rights was remarkable. They expressed a desire for policies that safeguarded their digital spaces while fostering innovation and digital inclusion.
On the topic of Mental Health, the conversations were heartfelt and vulnerable. Young individuals shared their personal struggles, highlighting the urgent need for destigmatizing mental health issues and providing accessible support systems. They emphasized the significance of mental health education in schools and community settings, hoping to create a future where seeking help for mental well-being was viewed with empathy and understanding.
Discussing Adolescent Well-Being opened up conversations about the unique challenges faced by young people during their formative years. The youth were passionate about comprehensive sexuality education, access to quality healthcare, and the importance of inclusive environments that fostered their personal growth and well-being.
Last Saturday was International Youth Day, a global opportunity to recognise the contributions and challenges of young people. Reading the various celebrations of young people around the world reminded me that we must remember that young people are uniquely placed to explain how these challenges present themselves to youth of different ages and genders and what solutions would be most impactful. The days of performative inclusion are over, what we need now is meaningful engagement. Our ideas, initiatives and programs need to be considered, not simply heard.
That is where conferences like Women Deliver can offer unparalleled support and tools to accelerate this innovation and progress. By elevating youth voices, we can ensure that young people around the world can be heard and considered when it comes o action plans and implementations.
Young people know what they want and how to make it happen, but they need support. Over the course of the three-day radio show I heard from several changemakers, working to improve education and employment outcomes, often tailored to the specific challenges of their regions, but what I noticed was how transferable many of the solutions were.
One example was a Kenyan initiative led by Lucy and Venoranda, called Young Changers Kenya which supports young mothers returning to education, tackling stigma and ensuring that education remains accessible. Young women leaving their education early to become wives and mothers is not unique to Kenya or even Africa. It is an obstacle to gender education parity around the world. I also learnt about the Linda Data program, which utilises a range of programs to reduce the digital gender gap to ensure that young women and girls are given the same opportunities to learn and grow in a safe virtual space. My past work in digital safety and security has shown me that there’s not enough being done to raise awareness of the dangers of digital tools and educate young people on how to harness these technologies in a safe an inclusive way. It was encouraging to hear from Hallima, a Digital Disruptor from Kenya working with Linda Data, on the various campaigns they have been running with Amnesty International to better understand human and digital rights through the lens of gender.
My experiences with Women Deliver showed me that we need more cross-country and cross-sector events like these, but most importantly we need them to give a platform to young people to allow them to hear from each other. They provide a space for these solutions to be shared, so that people working to address global challenges like gender gaps in digital technologies in the Philippines, can hear about what has worked for people targeting the same problems in Kenya. This is an invaluable platform for young people to have their voices heard and amplified on a global scale. Young people have power and they’re more than capable of making change, we just need support to help it happen faster.
To learn more about the #RisingMind radio, visit: https://www.fondationbotnar.org/rising-minds/