Young Feminists Celebrating Resistance, Strengthening Solidarity, and Strategizing for Change

On International Youth Day, seven young feminist leaders from across the globe came together to celebrate their achievements, name and strategise around the challenges they face, and mobilize collective action for gender justice. 

Co-hosted by MenEngage Alliance, the Global Youth Reference Group, and youth-led networks, the webinar ​“Celebrating Resistance – Sparking Change: Young Feminists on Masculinity, Power & the Sustainable development Goals (SDGs)” amplified grassroots strategies to challenge patriarchal norms and advance intersectional feminist futures.

Held under the global theme ​“Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond,” the youth leaders hosted this webinar to highlight how young feminists around the world are challenging patriarchal norms and advancing intersectional approaches to gender equality. Amid growing anti-rights movements and shrinking civic spaces, the event served as a moment for affirming the breadth and depth of the solidarity amongst the feminist movement, how to foster the will to change, and celebrating the ways our networks come together for collective action.

The panelists, whose bios you can read at the end of this page, began by asking the 80 participants to discuss three critical questions focused on celebrating progress, outlining priorities, and taking action. A selection of these powerful and inspiring responses are shared below:

What are you celebrating as a young feminist this International Youth Day?

What urgent issues must the movement address next?

What action will you take to support young feminist leadership against patriarchal norms?

Key Highlights from the Event

Youth-Led Feminist Resistance

Youth speakers and participants shared grassroots stories of feminist organizing, celebrating wins and strategies that have driven change in their communities. For example, Pooja Shrestha highlighted how social systems can transform,

“In a remote Nepali village, matriarchy once existed. Over time, people themselves became vehicles of patriarchy, shifting the norm. This proves systems aren’t fixed. If we changed once, we can change again, and this time towards equality. To do this, three things are needed: mindset change from childhood, enforcing equality laws in practice, and active male engagement. Only then can equality move from idea to reality in our homes and communities.”

Intersectional Movement-Building

Discussions centered on inclusive approaches to dismantling patriarchal masculinities and fostering feminist leadership across diverse identities.

As Nadia April emphasized: ​“Our strategy uses arts and creativity — music, poetry — to translate human rights into languages communities understand. We build personal power first, then collective power through global solidarity. When they attack by shrinking funding, we respond by creating intersectional alliances across feminist, climate and all justice movements.”

And Mehwish Kayani echoed: ​“This space embodies true intergenerational solidarity — youth leading the discussion while being supported by elders who actively listen. We celebrate feminists of all ages who believe in youth leadership.”

Strategies to Counter Backlash

Young leaders exchanged innovative tactics for sustaining movements in the face of rising anti-gender opposition. 

As Andi Rabiaj said, ​“To counter the global rise of anti-gender movements, we need coordinated global-to-local action — enforcing legal frameworks, regulating tech platforms, and integrating gender-transformative education. In Albania, we’ve seen how anti-rights narratives enter public discourse and force policy rollbacks in healthcare legislation that was approved back in 1995. We, the youth, cannot afford passivity. We need urgent solidarity that connects global feminist agendas with local actions, and vice-versa.”

Lasana Diakhate also added, ​“Patriarchy and militarism are intertwined and we must reject both. They sell us ​‘security’ through guns and bombs, while cutting budgets for schools and hospitals. But we know true security comes from justice, not weapons. Look at the costs: women’s bodies ravaged by sexual violence in conflicts, indigenous lands poisoned by nuclear tests, and young men — especially the poor — are recruited with slogans like ​‘The army will make a man of you’ — reinforcing toxic virility. This is not protection, it is predation.”

Call to Action

Attendees committed to concrete steps in supporting youth-led feminist activism, from community organizing to policy advocacy. As Alex Nelson said, ​“Let us honor the power of youth feminist leadership, and let’s do it together… Today, we recognize and uplift the achievements of our incredible speakers, whose leadership continues to shape bold, intersectional feminist futures.”

To close off the event, Inam ul Haq, said ​“resistance doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes it looks like community building, collaboration, and care. That’s what we witnessed here. This generation is ready. Ready to question. Ready to lead. And ready to build bridges across regions, struggles, and movements. This is the kind of leadership the world needs.”

Panelists at the International Youth Day 2025 Webinar

Pooja Shrestha

MenEngage South Asia Interim Youth Steering Committee, GESI Specialist (Nepal)

Team leader of National Indigenous Women Forum, and PhD researcher in Masculinity Studies with over 10+ years in gender equality work. 

Lasana Diakhate

WILPF Young Leaders Network (Senegal, Africa Focal Point)

Economic planner advocating for men’s engagement in feminist peacebuilding.

Andi Rabiaj

Executive Director, Youth Voice Network (Albania)

Public health and human rights professional with over 13 years of experience leading youth programs on SRHR, gender equality, and peacebuilding. 

Nadia April

ATHENA Network #WhatGirlsWant Focal Point (Namibia)

Feminist activist using arts to challenge harmful norms.

Alex Nelson

Co-Chair, MenEngage Youth Reference Group

Human Rights graduate advancing youth leadership in gender justice.

Inam Ul Haq

MenEngage South Asia Steering Committee (Pakistan)

SRHR advocate and youth leadership promoter.

Mehwish Kayani

Co-Chair, Youth Reference Group (Pakistan)

Award-winning Pakistani activist for child rights and feminist movements.