Mobilising change across regional, national and international spaces
Approximately 1.2 million young people aged 15–24 make up 20 per cent of the population in Pacific Island counties. Youth in the Pacific often face structural barriers that hinder their meaningful participation in decisions that directly impact their futures. Despite these barriers, youth activism in the Pacific is a dynamic and growing movement that addresses various social, environmental, and political issues.
In April 2025, the DFAT-funded Women Leading and Influencing initiative hosted an online Learning & Networking event exploring youth activism in the Pacific and mobilising change across regional, national, and international spaces. The event brought together Australia Awards scholars and alumni from the Pacific and their families, as well as development colleagues in our region.
The event aimed to foster conversations on strengthening youth participation in decision-making processes and recognising young people not merely as beneficiaries of development initiatives, but as crucial partners in shaping a sustainable and equitable future for the Pacific region.
The event featured a live expert panel discussion, audience Q&A, and break-out group discussions to explore the topic in further depth. The panel discussion was facilitated by CHSSC Research Fellow Dr Aidan Craney and included:
- Belynder Rikimani (Solomon Islands), Awareness Chair, Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change.
- Miliana Iga (Fiji) Coordinator, Pacific Youth Council.
- Sulueti Waqa (Fiji), Programmes Coordinator, femLINKPacific.
- Anne Gane (Australia), Assistant Director, DFAT Canberra Australia Awards WLI.
The results of the panel discussion are captured in a Summary Paper: Youth activism in the Pacific: Mobilising Change across Regional, National and International Spaces
WLI is an Australian Government initiative developing the skills, confidence, and connections of leaders to drive positive change in the Pacific region. WLI offers a range of developmental leadership offerings to Pacific Australia Awards scholars studying at Australian universities and institutions.
The CHSSC is partnering with DT Global to provide support for monitoring and evaluation, research, learning and knowledge dissemination activities undertaken by the WLI program. Our support includes the development, implementation and ongoing refinement of tools and approaches for capturing the impact of the program and identifying lessons learned through implementation as well as conducting research and analysis to support program delivery and contribute to the body of knowledge on women's leadership in the Pacific.
