Young Women and Youth Activism

Susanne Legena CEO of PLAN Australia and members of her team including Youth Activists joined the meeting.

Susanne gave an overview stating that ‘PLAN is the charity for girls’ equality. We tackle the root causes of poverty, support communities through crisis, campaign for gender equality, and help governments do what’s right for children and particularly for girls. We believe a better world is possible. An equal world; a world where all children can live happy and healthy lives, and where girls can take their rightful place as equals.’ Plan believes a better world is possible and they can add value and have made some pretty big changes in the 80 years they have been around.

PLAN has Five Pillars: Learn; Lead; Decide; Thrive; Survive, designed to create young women leaders and change-makers. The Youth Activist Series (YAS), a 12 month leadership program, provides a platform for young people to learn more about global issues surrounding gender justice, and presents a space where they can build their capacity and campaign with young people all over the world. The purpose of YAS is to give participants the chance to drive real change that is informed by their voices and solutions.

Ruvimbo, one of the Youth Activist in the Youth Activist Series (YAS): Stand Up Against Street Harassment awareness and training program, PLAN International Australia proudly partnered with L’Oréal Paris, to deliver this in Australia. This stemmed from research done, resulting in the mapping tool Free to Be Free to Be - Women's Safety Map | Plan International Australia, developed in collaboration with Monash University’s XYX Lab and young women. One tool developed is the Vic Police text-based reporting tool. This one-hour, virtual interactive training is being offered completely free, and will be delivered by Plan International Australia’s Youth Activists to the public and organisations across Australia. Stand up against street harassment - Plan International Australia

Siena, who works in digital marketing, outlined threats to online safety including time/autonomy children are online; sexualisation of and by young; grooming; radicalisation (especially boys). She believes that platforms/corporations don’t take enough responsibility, as they sell personal data to those who benefit by targeting individuals. Legislation/laws needed.

Young people came together from Vietnam, Indonesia and Australia to research how active bystander intervention can fight the growing levels of gender-based violence and harassment that young people experience online. These youth leaders worked together to design the guiding project questions, conduct focus groups with peers and now campaign for change! Their research focused on this question: What is needed to mobilise and support people to be active online bystanders when they witness online gender-based violence directed towards young people in all our diversity?

Their research showed that people are powerful agents of change and can be mobilised to be active bystanders but they need the education, tools and support to do so. Education systems and social media companies have a big and important role to play in equipping people to be active bystanders. Their findings, recommendations and ideas for action demonstrate that change is possible and it lies with all of us as individuals as well as with social media platforms and our government.

Jemma Enough is Enough! We need to address the barriers to women entering politics. In 2022, YAS and Youth Activists from Indonesia and Vietnam came together to collectively inform what inclusive, and truly representative, civic spaces could look like. It found that young people feel undervalued and powerless in participating in politics. The Voices for Change report explores young people’s leadership and political participation, and proposes solutions for a new way forward. This report was presented before the Minister for Youth. 2022-YAS-Report.pdf (plan.org.au)

Jemma is keen to link with the young NCWV group to possibly create youth programs, share ideas, support young people.

Susanne concluded and suggested we partner for change and have intergenerational dialogues.