Safeguarding the Next Generation: Why Youth-Led Organizations Matter Now More Than Ever

One of the cornerstones of any healthy democracy is a thriving civil society, a space where people are free, resourced, and brave enough to hold governments and systems accountable. Civil society is not a luxury; it is an essential part of functioning democracies and just societies. This is especially true when it comes to young people and their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Around the world, it is often grassroots, youth-led organisations that work at the frontlines of change: amplifying young people’s voices, challenging harmful norms, and protecting the right of every young person to make decisions about their own body.

Over the past decade, youth-led organizations (YLOs) have been the driving force behind some of the most transformative movements in world history. Recent history is replete with examples. From the protests for freedom and rights in Iran, the pro-democracy uprising in Hong Kong, the economic justice protests in Kenya, the global Fridays for Future movement and so many others have all drawn strength from major swells of determined youth mobilization.

These organisations are not only service providers or campaigners, but they are also a learning place for courage, and care. When they disappear, we lose more than projects and activities. We lose entire ecosystems of solidarity, and hope. According to the United Nations, approximately 1.8 billion people in the world are between the ages of 10 and 24, making them the largest generation of young people in history. This generation is poised to become the next wave of global leaders, innovators, and changemakers, but this cannot be done because their potential is stifled by lack of opportunity, inequality, or exclusion from civic life.

Unfortunately, sustainable support for young people and YLOs is being slashed around the world. In 2024 and 2025, the world’s largest ODA providers have all announced significant reductions in their aid budgets.

Without adequate funding and resources, young people will lose the opportunity to participate meaningfully in shaping solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. This not only threatens the progress made so far but risks leaving the largest generation in history without the tools they need to build a better future.

Without stable support, the ability of youth to organize, participate in policymaking, and act as active citizens is severely compromised. As global citizens of the world we need to ask ourselves what kind of world do we want to build and who gets to shape it? The answer hinges on a crucial choice: will we invest in the next generation of leaders, equipping them with the resources and opportunities they need to thrive, or will we turn our backs and risk a future where young voices are sidelined, and their potential goes unrealized? The decisions we make today will determine tomorrow’s world.

Deep funding cuts, shrinking civic space, and rising conservatism are forcing many of the most impactful youth-led organisations to scale down or shut down altogether. This is not just about budgets. It’s about whether we believe that young people deserve a say in their future, and whether we are willing to protect the spaces where that future is built.

This is the first of a four-part series where CHOICE will share real stories of young people and youth-led organizations navigating these challenges. Follow along as we spotlight their resilience, impact, and calls for change.