Climate crisis, global conflicts, racial and gender inequality, and poverty are just some of the problems we grapple with today—and the inputs, perspectives, and representation of youth are needed more than ever.
Alas, the youth is the least politically represented group in the world. Despite the fact that almost half of the world’s population is under 30, the average age of a world leader currently stands at 62.
While young people have the right to be included in political decisions that affect them, numerous barriers prevent their participation. This is why activist beauty retailer The Body Shop and the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth are collaborating to change this. The global Be Seen Be Heard campaign seeks to amplify youth voices in public life and create long-term structural changes to decision-making to be more inclusive of young people.
The campaign was launched early this month with the release of a joint report, “Be Seen Be Heard: Understanding young people’s political participation.” The report includes findings from the largest-ever survey carried out by The Body Shop in December 2021, covering 26 countries with 27,043 respondents in total, over half of which were under age 30.
The landmark report reveals that 82% of people agree political systems need drastic reform to be fit for the future. Of the 27,000 people surveyed, 84% described politicians as ‘self-interested,’ while 75% considered them ‘corrupt.’
The collaboration between The Body Shop and the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth will mean that young people and other stakeholders will be able to engage with the campaign through many routes. The campaign’s key objective is to change one piece of legislation or policy, or support programming to promote youth participation in public life, in over 75 countries around the world where The Body Shop operates.
Local campaign activations will include partnerships with specific youth-led or youth-focused non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and/or opportunities to support through petitions and other activations.
The campaign will run until mid-2025. Check out the Be Seen Be Heard website for further information.
