Youth
Today, on International Women’s Day, UNICEF reaffirms its commitment to advancing the rights of every girl – and ensuring that girls can thrive in an increasingly digital world.
Around the globe, progress toward gender equality remains uneven. Despite decades of advancement, harmful social norms and discriminatory practices continue to limit the opportunities of millions of girls. As societies become more connected through technology, these inequalities are not only reflected online – they are often amplified in digital spaces.
Maldives is among the most digitally connected societies in the South Asia region. With internet access reaching the vast majority of the population and social media widely used across islands and generations, digital platforms have become an integral part of daily life, shaping how young people learn, communicate, and participate in society.
For girls, these platforms offer powerful opportunities to learn new skills, access information, and raise their voices. Yet the same spaces can also expose girls to new and evolving forms of harm.
Gender-based civil society organisations (CSOs) have described the use of Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) to silence and discourage women from seeking or holding positions of influence as a threat to equal and meaningful participation.
According to them, women in public life, human rights defenders and peacebuilders, among others, played essential roles in advancing the gender equality agenda.At
a meeting organised by the Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre (Gender Centre) in Accra, which brought together women's rights organisations, they called on stakeholders to work together to address TFGBV in the country and beyond.
Activists and lawyers in Africa are calling for urgent action to protect women, girls and boys as digital violence surges across the continent.
A massive rise in internet users, coupled with huge numbers of people aged under 30, has fuelled an increase in gendered online violence across the continent, according to experts, by giving perpetrators new tools to control and silence women and girls, and influence boys.
“Unfortunately the world offline is not safe, equal and inclusive. But the world online is proliferating that to such an extent that it’s creating a foundation for a very, very unequal future,” said Ayesha Mago, global advocacy director at the Sexual Violence Research Initiative, a global network that supports research on violence against women and children in low- and middle-income countries.
The recent Grok scandal saw an avalanche of non-consensual sexualized deepfakes of women and girls created and shared directly on X, following the rollout of Grok’s picture-editing capabilities in late December 2025.
This provided a crucial opportunity to test the effectiveness of the existing EU legislative framework to prevent and address non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Investigations into X were opened almost immediately under both the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). At the same time, calls for additional safeguards and protections under EU law echoed across the Union, leading to the European Parliament and the European Council remarkably coming together to introduce a ban on such practices under the AI Act and pushing for additional restrictions against a rising tide of deregulation.
In a recent brief, the Centre for Democracy and Technology Europe explored the merits and gaps of existing legislation to address this issue. Building on that analysis, we reflect on the existing safeguards, the opportunities, and the challenges that a new ban under the AI Act would need to overcome.
On 16 March, the Delegation of the European Union to China hosted the event “Her Vision, Our Future: Women Pioneering Change” in Beijing, bringing together policymakers, diplomats, academics, civil society representatives and members of the international community to reflect on women’s leadership in climate action and political decision-making.
Held in the context of International Women’s Day, the event gathered around one hundred participants and featured two thematic sessions exploring how women’s leadership is shaping responses to some of today’s most pressing global challenges — from the green transition to democratic governance.
Opening the event, Ambassador Jorge Toledo, Head of the European Union Delegation to China, emphasised that gender equality remains both a democratic imperative and a practical necessity for effective policymaking. “Gender equality is not a secondary issue,” he said. “It is a question of how societies organise power, participation and opportunity. When women are present where decisions are made, policies become more responsive, institutions gain legitimacy, and societies become stronger.” Ambassador Toledo also welcomed the strong Chinese presence among the participants, noting that it reflected growing interest in these questions within China itself. “Your presence here today tells us that this topic resonates,” he said. “It tells us that the conversation about women’s leadership — about participation, voice and opportunity — matters.”
The Head of the Beijing UN Women Office, Chuqiao Wang, also offered a plenary framing intervention.
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) convened the WYDE Women’s Leadership Young Women’s Empowerment Academy in ECOWAS which brought together 25 young women aspiring or emerging political/community leaders, interested in standing for elective positions and elected young women officials pursuing political and leadership skills strengthening.
The Academy was convened within the framework of the European Union (EU)-funded Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) Women’s Leadership Initiative, implemented in partnership with UN Women, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), under the overall coordination and leadership of UN Women.
Over three days, participants expressed the enhancement of their understanding of democratic processes, gender norms and social norms intersectionality with young women’s participation and representation in politics, leadership and decision making at all levels, transformative leadership, violence against women manifests in political spaces, highlighting both the personal and structural dimensions of the problem, the critical role of digital media in shaping women’s leadership, visibility, and influence in politics, emphasizing that in today’s world, digital presence is inseparable from political presence and personal development. The Academy created a space where participants felt safe to reassess their political experiences and journeys in politics, countering stereotypes and practices and redefining their place and positioning in political and public life. As one participant expressed:
“The Academy has been a real space for awareness and progress. It allowed me to understand how my own social patterns influence my decisions and to identify concrete levers to evolve in my leadership.” - Amy Top, President of ASC Entente and Leader of the Cap sur l’Avenir Movement, Senegal.
A key outcome of the Academy was a shift in how participants understood gender social norms.
"Gender social norms are not just attitudes or traditions; they are powerful unwritten rules that shape opportunities, access and participation for women and men. Meaningful change requires shifting mindsets, engaging communities, and creating environments where women can exercise their rights.” - Rhoda Daniels Sanda, founder Guardian of Hope initiative, State Coordinator Researved Seat for Women Bill, Nigeria.
They recognized norms as transformable through personal agency: “As a young female leader, the Academy has helped me understand that social gender norms are much more than cultural habits: they are silent mechanisms that determine who has the right to exist, decide and influence. I realized that changing these norms does not start with speeches, but with example.” - Diaretou Mangane, National President of the Young Women's Wing, Liberal Democratic Reformers, Senegal.
Overall, participants moved from seeing gender norms as abstract societal rules to recognizing them as systemic societal prescriptions, actionable constructs they can challenge individually, collectively, and institutionally. By the end of the Academy, the most significant transformations were visible not only in what participants learned, but in how they saw themselves — as political actors, as norm-shapers, and as leaders capable of influencing institutions and communities.
The illustrative/evident indicator of transformation lies in the precision and ambition of participants’ final commitments. These commitments demonstrate how the Academy translated new awareness, confidence, and technical knowledge into concrete leadership trajectories at the individual, community, and political levels.
Individual Leadership Commitments: Many participants committed to deepening their personal leadership, strengthening their technical expertise, and increasing their visibility as a foundation for broader influence.
Building technical and strategic capacity: “At the end of this training, I intend to transform my commitment into an operational political force by radically strengthening my leadership. I will specialize in education-sector budget management, curriculum reform, and school law to become a recognised reference. My goal is clear: to build the credibility needed to join Parliament or the Department of Education so I can influence laws and funding for lasting change.” — Adjaratou Seydou, Coordinator of Mon Choix Ma Carrière, Country Head for Young Women of Africa, Togo.
Developing inclusive and reflective leadership styles: “This Academy helped me better understand how certain social norms influenced my expectations, my choices, and sometimes my ways of collaborating. I want to adopt a more conscious and intentional posture: asking more questions, listening before deciding, and making sure my practices do not unconsciously reproduce inequalities.” — Amy Top, President of ASC Entente and Leader of the Cap sur l’Avenir Movement, Senegal.
Personal growth and self-positioning: “Instead of being just a woman engaged in politics, I want to become a force that paves the way for others.” — Aysat Aguda, Woman Leader of the Social Democratic Party, Nigeria.
“After this Academy, I plan to make a major shift in my leadership journey: moving from intuitive engagement to a more structured, strategic, and impact-driven approach. I want to strengthen my presence in decision-making spaces, use my voice more effectively, and mobilize more women around civic action and transformative leadership.” — Aïssata Dieng, Community leader, Ivory Coast
Community-Level Commitments
Participants increasingly viewed leadership as service and committed to extending the Academy’s impact through mentorship, advocacy, and community empowerment.
Mentorship and the multiplier effect: “I want to shift from individual leadership to multiplier leadership. Instead of being the only woman engaged in politics, I want to open the way for others. I will mentor, coach, and mobilize more young women around me to take part in public decision-making.” — Boye Baby, Member of Parliament, Senegal.
Advocacy, education, and youth empowerment
“I will advocate for the monthly inclusion of senior high schools in sanitary pad distribution programmes and renovate a community school in my hometown.” — Mabel Obeng, Young Women of Africa Country Leader, Ghana.
“I want to strengthen my leadership to influence public policies in energy, infrastructure, and STEM education. I will create training hubs for young women, expand STEM clubs across West Africa, and build a network of mentors.” — Winner Fandoumi, National President, AIP-JEUNES, Togo.
Inclusive decision-making and participatory governance
“I want to launch awareness campaigns and training to encourage women to take leadership positions within political parties and public institutions, challenging the idea that leadership is reserved for men.” — Gertrude Nadia Sena Dossa, Deputy Mayor, Benin.
“My goal is to create participatory mechanisms where the less privileged — especially women and girls — have a voice in decision-making. I will organize and guide communities to inspire collective action.” — Aisha Kabir, Peace builder and community development officer, Nigeria.
Political and Institutional Commitments
Several participants left the Academy with renewed determination to enter or advance within formal political structures and influence policy directly.
Running for office and leadership positions
“I will run for the secretary position of my political party at ward level.” — Nerat Yakubu Gyang, Welfare director faculty of social sciences students’ union, University of Jos, Nigeria.
“I will write an official letter to the party chairman to express my interest in serving on the executive committee of the women’s wing.” — Laura Targbeh Korvah, President - National Young Women Political Council of Liberia (NYWPCL). Regional Coordinator -Board of the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), Liberia.
“I will contest the National Students Union presidency in Ghana again — and this time win. There has never been a female president.” — Mabel Obeng, Young Women of Africa Country Leader, Ghana.
Transitioning from activism to political influence
“I will advocate within my political party for more inclusive structures — including women’s reserved seats and gender-balanced committees — to ensure women are not only present but actively contributing.” — Rhoda Daniels Sanda, founder Guardian of Hope initiative, State Coordinator Researved Seat for Women Bill, Nigeria.
“Having had no previous political involvement, I have decided to join the youth league of a political party to gain a platform for concrete action.” — Monica Van Gabriella Boulanga-Moughola, Legal Officer and Youth Leadership Advocate, Gabon.
The Academy is already supporting these ambitions by enabling participants to build mutual accountability systems and peer networks. As Nerat Yakubu Gyang explained, “I have reached out to some co-participants from the Academy to become my accountability partners so I can implement my plan.” This spirit of solidarity and the concrete commitments above capture the Academy’s long-term impact. As Boye Baby, Parliamentarian from Senegal, reflected: “Eventually, they realise: ‘she is not going anywhere’ — and then they start to support you.”
This scoping study presents an in-depth exploration of youth political participation, focusing on the design and implementation of youth-related policies. The policy tracker study is based on a comprehensive literature and policy review, tracking key developments from 1980 to 2023. It covers three main areas:
•Youth involvement in political affairs,
•Participation in elections,
•And engagement in civil society, with an emphasis on democratic environments.
It is divided into two key parts, examining academic literature and significant policy shifts across four distinct epochs, providing valuable insights for policymakers and programme designers in the field of youth political engagement.
By systemically analysing research and policy documents that have shaped the policy discourse over the last four decades, the study brings a new perspective on the evolution of youth participation in politics across four key epochs. It offers a unique chronological order highlighting key trends and shifts in youth policymaking while situating them within broader democratic practices. By expanding the understanding of youth participation, the study provides insights for future avenues of research and development of more youth-inclusive policies.
Read here the full report published by the Youth Democracy Report on 16 September 2024.
Image credits: Youth Democracy Cohort
Several Indonesian thinktanks have unofficially assessed that female representation in Indonesia’s national parliament (DPR) for the term 2024-2029 would stand at about 19.65 per cent. If this proves correct, the proportion of women legislators in the new government will be lower than in previous years. During the 2019-2024 term, women’s representation in the DPR was at 20.9 per cent, surpassing 17.32 per cent after the 2014 elections, whereas during Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s presidency (2004 and 2009 elections), women legislators accounted for only 11.1 and 17.86 per cent of legislators, respectively.
While improvements in Indonesia’s electoral system and the internal structures of political parties are needed to provide more opportunities for women to participate in politics, the cultural attitudes of young voters (17-40 years old) towards gender roles and female political leadership are also crucial. As the most significant demographic of voters in the recent elections, at 56 per cent of the electorate, Indonesia’s youth wield significant influence. Examining their current attitudes toward gender equality is essential for envisioning the future of women’s political participation and leadership.
Read here the full article published by Fulcrum on 24 April 2024.
Photo by Fulcrum
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Last week, former prime minister Tony Abbott called for more women to be represented in the Australian parliament. While his comments were focused on the Liberal Party, they did remind us of the consistent gap that remains between the number of men and women in the nation’s parliament.
This is highly problematic, as a lack of women in the national legislature suggests our political system is misfiring.
The inequality of gender representation also undermines the democratic notion of government being for the people, by the people.
This problem isn’t unique to Australia, as many other countries continue to have fewer women than men representing the community in the national parliament.
Australia became a world leader when, in 1902, women gained the power to vote, and also stand for election to the parliament of Australia. But it took more than 40 years until, in 1943, Enid Lyons and Dorothy Tangney became the first women elected to the national parliament.
The situation has changed since the 1940s, but we’re still a long way from enjoying gender parity in parliament. For example, at the start of 2024, Australia was ranked 37th in the world for the percentage of women in its national parliament, with just 38% of seats in the House of Representatives (where governments are formed) being held by women. The story is somewhat better in the upper house, as 57% of seats are occupied by women.
Read here the full article published by the Monash University on 15 April 2024.
Image source: Monash University
Three quarters (77%) of women are not comfortable expressing political opinions online because of fears they will be targeted by harmful online behaviours such as misogyny, trolling, threats and harassment, according to new research published today (Wednesday 20 March) at AI UK, the UK's national showcase of data science and AI hosted by The Alan Turing Institute.
The survey found that while men and women reported seeing harmful content online almost equally overall, women reported being directly targeted by misogyny, cyberstalking, cyberflashing, eating disorder content, and image based sexual abuse to a significantly greater extent than men.
Women are also significantly more fearful of experiencing every type of harm that they were asked about.
The research also found that women were 96% more likely than men to say they had been left feeling sad or low as a result of an online experience, and 47% more likely than men to say they had been left with physical symptoms such as insomnia or headaches.
The research also looked at the use of safety tools and across all seven tools surveyed, including disabling location sharing, making accounts private and limiting who can engage with posts, women consistently report using these tools to a greater extent than men. This could suggest that women feel the need to do more to protect themselves from online harms.
Click here to read the full article published by The Alan Turing Institute on 20 March 2024.
Image source: The Alan Turing Institute
Young people form a large share of the global population, but they make up only a small proportion of members of parliament around the world. This disparity is greatest among younger cohorts: while half of people worldwide are under age 30, and 18% of people are between the ages of 20 and 29, this report finds that only 2.8% of parliamentarians are aged 30 or under. The exclusion of youth from these spaces is not only unjust, but also has important policy implications. By virtue of their age, younger generations will live the longest with the consequences of legislation passed today. If young people’s voices are not heard, these laws are not likely to reflect their political priorities and perspectives, making it less likely that attention will be paid to issues like education, unemployment and climate change.
Click here to read the full report published by the Inter-Parliamentary Union on 19 October 2023.
This year’s State of the World’s Girls report is focused on girls’ and young women’s political participation.
It explores their attitudes towards, and experiences of, political and civic participation and institutions, across many different backgrounds.
The report is based on a large-scale survey of almost 29,000 girls and young women aged 15-24 from 29 countries spanning all regions, income levels and civic contexts. Additionally, researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 94 girls and young women across 18 countries.
Click here to access the report.