Home Highlights 2025 From advocacy to impact: Young women shape national agendas in the Caribbean

From advocacy to impact: Young women shape national agendas in the Caribbean

August 29, 2025 | Activity

Young people must be equipped with the tools, knowledge, networks, and opportunities in order to take their rightful place as partners in shaping national decision-making. This theme guided the third virtual meeting of the Young Women In Leadership (YWiL) Network entitled “Youth-Led Advocacy: Shaping Policy and Legislation” co-hosted by ParlAmericas, the UN Women Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean, and Caribbean Women in Leadership (CIWiL).

The discussions affirmed a simple but powerful truth: youth leadership matters most when it translates into action. For Nana Oye Hesse Bayne, President of CIWiL, the YWiL Saint Lucia simulated parliamentary debate offered a clear illustration, as young women used the exercise to push legislative priorities such as the removal of value added tax on menstrual products.

Turning advocacy into action also means knowing how to navigate the legislative process and policy arena effectively. Chrisette Benjamin, Gender Equality Programme Officer at ParlAmericas, emphasized that understanding the stages of the legislative cycle is essential for youth to identify the right entry points to make an impact, whether by contacting parliamentarians, sharing data and draft legislation, or mobilizing public demonstrations. Building on this, Monique Long, UN Women Caribbean Planning and Coordination Specialist expanded the discussion on policy advocacy, equipping participants with practical strategies to identify policy gaps, assess priorities, navigate power dynamics, map influencers, and measure impacts of youth-led advocacy. She identified advocacy tools including position briefs, storytelling, and media outreach as effective mechanisms for youth to leverage their influence and build coalitions for effective policy change.

Adding a civil society perspective, Shannique Bowden, Executive Director Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN), shared the organization’s experience in policy and legislative advocacy. Their initiatives included developing a youth manifesto, conducting stakeholder engagements, participation in parliamentary submissions, and the development of infographics to effectively communicate issues to policymakers and the public. JYAN’s efforts have contributed to the adoption of policy recommendations by a Joint Select Committee reviewing the Sexual Offences Act of Jamaica – though their full implementation is still pending.

The meeting concluded with a clear conviction: youth, and especially young women, are critical drivers of legislative change and policy solutions. Through the YWiL Network, ParlAmericas is pleased to partner with UN Women Caribbean and CIWiL to continue to support young women leaders in the Caribbean in fostering meaningful change.

This meeting was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.