Engaging youth as advocates against GBV 

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence 2024 campaign is  commemorated under the theme Towards 30 years of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: UNiTE to End Violence Against Women. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration from different stakeholders in the GBV response. One group that is often overlooked in programming is young people, in all their diversity. The engagement of young people in the GBV response presents an opportunity for new strategies in ending violence against women and girls

The importance of youth as advocates against GBV

In the context of Africa, where 400 million people are aged between 15 and 35 years and the population of young people is projected to grow, it is important that they are not left behind. The following points indicate the critical role of youths in ending GBV. ‘’Engaging youths as advocates against GBV is important because young people can effectively reach and influence their peers through information sharing and awareness raising about the prevention of GBV among fellow youth. Additionally, young people are more willing to hear information from their peers, making them critical agents of change in the fight against GBV,’’ Chisomo Banda, PowerToYouth, Malawi.

• Youth engagement is a regional and international priority: whether it is climate change action, political participation or the HIV response, youth engagement has become a priority. In commitments and targets such as the African Youth Charter and Agenda 2063 emphasize the role of youth as key stakeholders in the development of Africa and propel youth as custodians of innovation. The global series of youth consultations for the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action demonstrate commitment to the meaningful engagement of young people and intentionality in listening to youth voices and taking their perspectives into account for their campaign, MenEngage Botswana Youth will conduct a webinar on Youth Engagement in the GBV by 10^th December.
• Young people bring innovation to programs: this innovation can lead to increased awareness on GBV and improved uptake of GBV response services. Youth are likely to bring fresh ideas and find alternative and creative solutions in addressing violence.  Their dedication and energy help in sustaining efforts towards equality and justice. For example, for their campaign, young people in MenEngage Rwanda are conducting poetry competitions between 25^th November to 10^th December  targeting young men in universities to improve male engagement in the GBV response.
• The ability to respond to emerging forms of GBV: with the rise of technology-assisted GBV which occurs mostly on social media platforms where a lot of young people are users, they can use their understanding of these forms of media to educate and run social media campaigns which prevent GBV. Young people have a deeper understanding of the digital landscape. They can leverage digital technology to counter gender-based violence in digital spaces.
• Youth engagement can foster intergenerational collaboration: one way of promoting collaboration is through intergenerational dialogues which often bring together young people and policy makers and decision makers, allows them to present diverse views and experiences and positions them as equal partners in the GBV response. In Liberia and Cameroon, the MenEngage Youth wings will conduct intergenerational dialogues addressing strategies to eliminate GBV.
• Power To Youth Uganda organized one of the biggest youth festivals in the country dubbed “Power To Youth Festival 2023” during the period of 16 Days of Activism. The youth-led activity was aimed at raising awareness about girls’ rights, challenging SGBV and other harmful practices in Isingoro district. Apart from organizing the event, young people  also engaged by sharing good practices from their working on ending GBV and harmful practices.  The informal free space featured dialogues; experience sharing; learning and commitment from state actors and societal actors to end violence. music; dance; and drama from various schools speaking   to the theme. This event was blended with social media campaigns and use of hashtags. By the end of this festival, young people were empowered to continue raising their voices against violence.  Community leaders reaffirmed their commitment to ending the prevalence of GBV. PTY Uganda is engaging East Africa Legislative Assembly to enact an Anti FGM law which will help to eradicate female general mutilation  in the East Africa Community . The EAC is a regional intergovernmental organization of eight    states, comprising Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda , Tanzania, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. These are some of the advocacy efforts of youths in fighting harmful practices experienced by women and girls.

Addressing barriers to youth engagement

The engagement of youth as advocates against GBV could be better addressed because of barriers such as tokenism and limited funding which stem from perceptions about young people and lead to them being sidelined. One of the main ways to address these barriers is through youth-adult partnerships which empower young people to be a part of decision making. Mentoring young people also equips them with the skills to be leaders of change which is especially important because sub-groups such as adolescent girls and young women are mostly affected by GBV.

During this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence campaign  we are reminded that GBV remains a global concern which requires concerted efforts and that includes tapping into the power of young people.

Therefore, this is a clarion call for all leaders at different levels of society to meaningfully engage in young people in ending GBV understanding that not only is participation a fundamental right for all young people  as per Article 12, of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, it also allows young people to gain important knowledge on how certain procedures, decision-making processes, and governance structures work which can lead to more active citizenship.

Written by : Ontlametse R. Raleru

Edited by : Eucharia Nkengafack