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How To Successfully Involve Young Women In Decision Making

Point 1: Orientation and On-going Training

Provide background information on the organization, program or government body, a clear list of responsibilities, and training on public speaking, communication, facilitation and decision-making skills.

Point 2: Visible Leadership and Authority

Give young women equal authority and jurisdiction, comparable to that of an adult in a similar position. Provide public speaking opportunities for young women and allow them to speak for themselves. Provide young women with the opportunity to chair or moderate meetings.

Point 3: Recruitment

Be patient. Involve young women in all outreach strategies and implementation. Provide literature connected to young women’s realities. Avoid relying on the same young woman as a spokesperson every time; involve a diverse group of young women. Replace outgoing youth with other young women to ensure long-term commitment.

Point 4: Train Adults

Promote sensitivity to youth culture by training adults on how to respectfully interact with young women without being patronizing. Make meetings and decision-making processes interactive to make it more comfortable for young women to participate and give their input.

Point 5: Intergenerational Partnering

Foster structured one-on-one relationships between young women and adults. Promote an atmosphere that is open to two-way learning, and be aware that young women will often have new and fresh perspectives.

Point 6: Peer Support

Recognize that having two or more young women will help their transition, motivation, commitment, ability to speak up and confidence in a new or unfamiliar situation.

Point 7: Accommodate Young Women’s Special Situations

Respect a young woman’s need to prioritize her education and family ommitments, particularly in the case of young mothers. Recognize young women’s financial and transportation constraints.

Point 8: Compensation

Foster an organizational or governmental commitment to pay young women stipends, on a comparable scale as adults, for their work. Ensure that young women receive a comparable wage to what they have to earn otherwise so that they do not need to take on additional jobs.

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