Youth-Led Initiatives

Attitudes towards gender and gender equality are often developed in infancy. In order to change long-held beliefs about women’s rights, it is important that we invest in organizations that seek to both change the attitudes of young people, and involve youth in peacebuilding and post-conflict decision-making. The experiences of girl children are particularly overlooked in conflict and post-conflict contexts. Girls in conflict zones are at an increased risk of facing sexual and physical violence, being trafficked, entering into forced or early marriages and being excluded from aid and humanitarian initiatives.

It is important to support initiatives that recognize these vulnerabilities and seek to support both girls and boys, to fully realize their human rights. Young people are both ambassadors and the future of their communities. That is why each year N-Peace recognizes outstanding civil society organisations that are either youth-led or contributes to youth engagement in the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.

To be eligible, the initiative must must be either led by the youth and/or the target beneficiaries of the initiative must be the youth, and respond to one of the three following areas of the WPS agenda: 

1. Ensuring women’s equal participation in the decision making process;  
2. Protecting and promoting the rights of women in conflict affected situations; and
3. Preventing conflict and all forms of violence against women in conflict and post conflict situations. 

To apply for a N-Peace CSO Award/Small Grant, please check this page in Spring 2019.