Last week, while responding to a youth survey on government accountability, I found myself thinking about a simple but important question: Do young people really have a say in the decisions that affect their lives?
It’s easy to assume that youth voices are being heard — that consultations and surveys mean participation. But true influence goes beyond being asked for input. It’s about being invited to shape the questions, the solutions, and the decisions themselves.
Young people bring perspectives that data and reports cannot capture: the pressures of navigating school, work, mental health, and a world changing faster than many policies can keep up with. And yet, too often, engagement is symbolic — limited to spaces that are formal, inaccessible, or focused on already-privileged voices.
If we want policies to be inclusive and impactful, we need to meet youth where they are — in communities, classrooms, digital spaces — and intentionally include those whose experiences are most often overlooked: Indigenous youth, young people with disabilities, migrants, and youth from marginalized communities. Participation should be supported, compensated, and genuinely valued.
Ultimately, empowering youth isn’t just about representation. It’s about recognizing that young people are innovators, advocates, and partners in shaping solutions for climate, health, equity, and social justice.
So I wonder: How can we create spaces where youth don’t just show up, but truly help define what decisions get made — and whose voices count in shaping the future?