Date:
Author: Aisha Lareb
I come from a society where silence is often mistaken for dignity, especially when it comes to gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Young people are expected to stay quiet about issues affecting their bodies, futures and choices, while misinformation continues to spread louder than facts. But my generation is refusing to inherit silence.
For me, youth leadership is about influence, using our voices, creativity and collective energy to challenge harmful norms and open conversations that many people were once afraid to have.
Across Pakistan, I have seen how deeply stigma affects young people. I have seen adolescents struggle to access accurate health information, young women denied agency over their own decisions, and communities shaped by fear rather than awareness. What stood out to me most was not the lack of potential among young people. It was the lack of spaces where they felt heard, represented and empowered.
That realization pushed me to create Conversation for Change, a youth-led initiative built on one simple belief: when young people are trusted with knowledge and leadership, they become powerful drivers of social change. Through community campaigns, awareness sessions, digital advocacy, and youth engagement activities, I focused on creating conversations that felt accessible, relatable and human. I learned quickly that young people connect with honesty, creativity and authenticity more than formal lectures or institutional language. Whether through storytelling, social media, peer engagement or grass-roots discussions, the goal was always the same: making young people feel seen, informed and confident enough to speak for themselves.
Young people understand their generation better than anyone else. We know how to communicate in ways that are engaging rather than intimidating. We know how digital spaces shape opinions, identities and confidence. We know how quickly misinformation spreads online, but we also know the power these platforms hold for education, solidarity and advocacy when used responsibly.
Too often, youth are treated as passive audiences instead of active changemakers. I strongly reject that idea. Young people are not waiting for change; they are already building it. They are leading conversations in classrooms, communities, online spaces and grassroots movements every single day. They are creating campaigns, educating peers, challenging stereotypes, and shifting narratives that previous generations considered impossible to question.
What makes youth leadership powerful is not perfection, it is courage. Courage to speak in spaces designed to silence us. Courage to challenge systems that dismiss young voices as inexperienced. Courage to continue advocating even when progress feels slow.
The support and connections I gained through the UN Women 30 for 2030 network and EmPower Academy strengthened this belief even further. Engaging with young leaders across Asia and the Pacific reminded me that while our contexts may differ, our determination is deeply connected. These spaces showed me the importance of collaboration, shared learning and youth-led solidarity. They reinforced that leadership grows stronger when young people are given resources, mentorship and opportunities to work together across borders.
I believe the future of gender equality depends on whether institutions are willing to genuinely invest in youth leadership instead of simply celebrating it symbolically. Young people should not only be invited into conversations once decisions are already made. We should be trusted as partners in shaping policies, designing programmes, and leading solutions that directly affect our generation.
The most powerful movements begin when young people realize their voices carry value. One conversation can inspire confidence. One campaign can shift perspectives. One empowered young person can influence an entire community.
My message to young people everywhere is this: never underestimate the power of your voice simply because you are young. Your ideas matter. Your experiences matter. Your leadership matters. The world does not change only through institutions or policies; it changes when people decide they will no longer remain silent about injustice.
Our generation is not the future waiting to arrive.
We are already shaping it.
Aisha Lareb is a public health advocate, Chevening Scholar, and founder of Conversation for Change, a youth-led initiative advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights in Pakistan. She is a UN Women 30 for 2030 awardee and youth focal point for family planning advocacy, working to promote gender equality, youth leadership, and equitable access to health information through grassroots and international engagement.