NGO reflections on putting the youth first: improving youth participation in development practice

Abstract

There are 1.21 billion young people globally, and the majority are living in the Global South. Empowering young people to participate in development decision-making can make young people feel engaged, and enables programs to more effectively meet their needs. This qualitative study explores challenges and approaches to facilitating youth participation through interviews with a small sample of NGO practitioners. Recommendations for improving youth participation, that emerged from the interviews, include that NGOs should have constructive dialogue with donors around the value of youth participation, take more flexible and creative approaches, and formalise strategies that prioritise participation.