Three key findings on girls and young women in climate activism and advocacy in the region

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the leadership and advocacy of girls and young women in climate movements across Asia and the Pacific. It identifies the diverse strategies these advocates use, the structural and societal barriers that hinder their progress, and the risks they face, including 'youthwashing' and threats to their well-being. The document provides specific recommendations for international policymakers, youth representatives, and the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) Hub to create a safer and more inclusive environment for young female climate advocates.

• Girls and young women in Asia and the Pacific employ diverse, multi-level strategies for climate justice advocacy, ranging from hands-on community action and awareness-raising to legal challenges and protests. A survey of 218 advocates aged 18 to 34 revealed that over 40% identify as belonging to an ethnic minority or Indigenous group, and 40% reside in non-urban areas.
• Social media is a primary tool for climate advocacy, used by over 90% of surveyed girls and young women for communication and raising awareness. However, these advocates face limitations such as misinformation, online abuse, and cybersecurity risks, and they note that online attention to their voices often peaks only during high-profile events like UN Conferences of Parties (COPs).
• Structural and societal barriers significantly impede the ability of young women to be taken seriously in climate action. These include shrinking civic spaces, a lack of official engagement mechanisms, and restrictive gender and age norms. Approximately one-third of surveyed advocates feel they lack influence over decision-making within their own groups.
• Advocates in the global South face specific challenges including misrepresentation and power imbalances compared to those in the global North. Media coverage often focuses on "individual heroes" or "girl power," which the document suggests diverts attention from the advocates' actual calls for collective action against root inequalities.
• The phenomenon of "youthwashing" occurs when adults engage young women at a tokenistic level to create an appearance of inclusion without committing to meaningful change. This is accompanied by risks to physical and mental health, including climate anxiety and the fear of arrest, physical attacks, or cyberbullying.
• Young female advocates must navigate conflicting priorities, balancing their activism with roles as students or employees. This struggle is exacerbated when they lack support from their families, schools, or broader society.

APA

Tran, M., Jintarith, P., & Keophaithool, S. (2023). Three key findings on girls and young women in climate activism and advocacy in the region. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/girls-activism-leadership-asia-pacific-sei2023.031.pdf

Chicago

Tran, Minh, Pimolporn Jintarith, and Sudthida Keophaithool. Three key findings on girls and young women in climate activism and advocacy in the region. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2023. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/girls-activism-leadership-asia-pacific-sei2023.031.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tran |first1=Minh |last2=Jintarith |first2=Pimolporn |last3=Keophaithool |first3=Sudthida |title=Three key findings on girls and young women in climate activism and advocacy in the region |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=May 2023 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/girls-activism-leadership-asia-pacific-sei2023.031.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tran2023three, author = {Tran, Minh and Jintarith, Pimolporn and Keophaithool, Sudthida}, title = {{Three key findings on girls and young women in climate activism and advocacy in the region}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/girls-activism-leadership-asia-pacific-sei2023.031.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }