Policy Recommendations
Powering Change: Young People Leading the COVID-19 Response and Recovery – Policy Recommendations
From our discussions and engagements with young people, youth-led organisations and national organisations of the Big Six we are calling on multinational agencies and institutions, governments, policymakers and corporations to:
COVID-19 Prevention, Vaccines and Combatting Misinformation
- Prioritise effective, accessible
and evidence-based risk
communication strategies
and community engagement
efforts to combat the spread
of misinformation.
- Empower and engage
young people to take active
roles in COVID-19 prevention
and protection measures
at local, national and
international levels.
Mental and Physical Health
- Ensure equitable access
to healthcare for children
and young people,
regardless of background,
gender or employment
status, with mental health.
- Increase funding for
lifesaving, youth-led
mental health services. - Invest in local solutions and adaptive programming; encourage greater collaboration between non-governmental, public and private sector providers
Education disruption and employability
- Invest in flexible, digital-first
and holistic approaches to
education that combine
effective classroom learning
with non-formal education
and learning solutions. - Give young people access to resources including mentoring, peer-to-peer support and financial investment, so they are empowered to implement their ideas and test their own solutions.
- Involve young people and young leaders in intergenerational dialogue, decision-making and planning at all levels, in both policymaking and the adoption of youth-led solutions.
- Increase financial support for the non-profit sector, particularly non-formal education organisations, to ensure they can survive future crises and serve new community needs.
Gender inequality and combatting domestic and gender-based violence
- Create safe spaces for
young women, girls and
members of the LGBTQ+
community to share
experiences, support one
another and increase
awareness of the danger
of gender and domestic-based violence. - Strengthen capacity of local organisations to be able to respond to violence reporting and monitor services and referral pathways; strengthen cyber laws and online harassment reporting schemes, with a particular focus on preventing gender-based and sexual orientation-based violence, as well as violence towards children.
- Recognise menstrual hygiene as a human right and combat the stigma associated with menstruation to ensure no one is prevented from accessing education, social services or other services