Youth

MenEngage Alliance welcomed Advocates for Youth as an at-large member - our first concrete step toward including youth voice in global governance.

MenEngage Alliance formed a Youth Reference Group to strengthen its focus on youth leadership, following our active role in the UN's first Interagency Working Group on Youth and Gender Equality.

Ahead of the 61st Commission on the Status of Women, MenEngage Alliance co-organised an online consultation inviting young people worldwide to weigh in on the Youth Forum's key themes. Their input helped shape the Youth Declaration.

MenEngage Africa re-established its Youth Advisory Committee - ten young leaders from across the region. Meeting in Jinja, Uganda, the committee reviewed the network's Youth MOU, developed a 2017–2020 youth strategy, and launched the Youth Advisory Group.

MenEngage Alliance co-organised the Gender360 Summit in Washington, D.C. - 400 participants from 25 countries exploring how education, health, economic empowerment, and gender-based violence intersect for young people of diverse identities.

Ahead of the 2nd MenEngage Africa Symposium, 50 youth leaders gathered at the African Youth Forum to exchange knowledge and build intergenerational dialogue on gender equality and social justice.

The Youth Reference Group took a proactive role in the Alliance's work, with young activists driving the Sexual and Reproductive Health for All initiative. New youth leadership structures emerged across regional networks.

The Youth Reference Group met regularly throughout the year, hosting an April webinar on "Young Masculinities and COVID-19" - young activists reflecting on the pandemic's impact and adapting their work with youth on gender.

A dedicated youth committee ensured meaningful youth participation at the 3rd MenEngage Global Symposium (the Ubuntu Symposium) leading sessions on movement building, organising networking, and drafting a youth statement heard throughout the event.

A new 4-year strategy launched to strengthen youth leadership across national, regional, and global levels - co-developed with the Youth Reference Group, regional network members, and external stakeholders.

Regular meetings with the Youth Reference Group shaped the rollout of the Alliance's Youth Strategy, resulting in a drafted 2023–2024 work plan.

The YRG's terms of reference were revised, and regional networks were invited to refresh its membership. In December, the revitalised group met in person for the first time (in Kigali, Rwanda) to shape strategy for the 2021–2024 Youth Strategy.

A YRG member was elected to represent youth on the Global Board - building on youth leadership already present through ATHENA Network and Q-Initiative, two feminist youth organisations.

YRG members joined working groups across advocacy, communications, GBV, SRHR, and climate justice - a turning point for embedding youth leadership in the Alliance's decision-making.

Festus Kisa, a YRG member, was elected Global Co-Chair of MenEngage Alliance - the first time in the Alliance's history a young person held this role. It marked a decisive step toward institutionalising youth leadership within the Alliance.

At CSW68, with support from NAMEN and then-interim director Stevan Lynn, the YRG produced a video: Why Does Youth Leadership Matter in the Fight for Social Justice? - spotlighting young leaders on why youth participation matters for social justice and human rights.

YRG members moderated a youth-led dialogue at CSW68, deepening political analysis of the session's priority theme from a youth perspective.

Young leaders took on new roles across the Alliance: a Co-Chair of MenEngage Africa, a national coordinator for MenEngage Sri Lanka (a youth-led LGBTQI rights org), a new youth leadership space in Pakistan's network, and a new board member at NAMEN.

The YRG deepened ties with youth-led movements, including WILPF's youth network - building on existing collaboration.

Through a MenEngage Iberia member, the YRG was selected as a promising international youth-masculinities initiative, to be featured in Spain's Youth Institute magazine in 2026.

The YRG launched a comic on men, masculinities, and gender justice (inspired by Netflix's Adolescence) to spark dialogue through creative storytelling. It premiered at CREA's reConference in Nepal with an interactive exhibit and workshop.

The evaluation identified key learnings and priorities to shape a renewed strategy for youth leadership.

The YRG launched Bro Code, exploring masculinities online, the influence of misogynistic content, and new ways to engage youth in gender equality conversations.

Building on the Youth Strategy evaluation, the YRG is leading a new Program of Action for 2027–2030, strengthening youth leadership from the national level up.