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

The document identifies that girls and young women in Asia and the Pacific employ diverse strategies for climate advocacy, ranging from grassroots action to digital mobilization, but face significant structural barriers including restrictive gender and age norms, shrinking civic spaces, and 'youthwashing'. It recommends that international and regional policymakers institutionalize inclusive youth-engagement mechanisms and protect the rights of young women to freedom of expression and assembly.

• Girls and young women in Asia and the Pacific utilize a multifaceted approach to climate justice advocacy, combining daily hands-on action, awareness raising, networking with decision-makers, and disruptive activities like protests and legal actions. A survey of 218 advocates aged 18 to 34 revealed that over 40% belong to an ethnic minority or Indigenous group and 40% reside in non-urban areas.
• Social media is a primary tool for advocacy, used by over 90% of surveyed girls and young women for communication and raising awareness. However, these advocates note limitations such as misinformation, cybersecurity risks, and a pattern where online attention to their voices peaks only during high-profile events like UN Conferences of Parties (COPs).
• Structural and societal barriers significantly hinder the effectiveness of young women's advocacy in the region. These include shrinking civic spaces, a lack of official engagement mechanisms, and restrictive gender and age norms that limit their movement, education, and credibility in decision-making processes.
• Advocates in the global South face specific challenges regarding misrepresentation and power imbalances compared to those in the global North. Media coverage often focuses on "individual heroes" or "girl power," which the document argues diverts attention from the collective action needed to address root causes of inequality.
• The document identifies the risk of "youthwashing," where young women are included in decision-making spaces at a tokenistic level to provide a veneer of legitimacy without any meaningful commitment to change from adults.
• Climate activism exposes girls and young women to significant risks to their physical and mental health, including threats of arrest, physical attacks, cyberbullying, and climate anxiety driven by leader inaction and media negativity.

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} }