MenEngage Africa Youth

MenEngage Africa (MEA) recognises that, globally, there has been a gap in youth involvement, including political, social and economic engagement. Against this background, MEA seeks to strengthen youth involvement in the alliance’s activities, including governance, programmes and advocacy by building their leadership skills on issues of women’s rights and gender justice, which affect young people in all the countries where we have a presence.

In order to advance this goal, it was necessary to set up a structure led by, and for, the youth. The membership  of the MenEngage Youth Steering Committee consists of youth-led and serving organisations, and organisations working with women and girls, both at national and regional levels, organisations working with women and girls. At the last count, 58 youth-serving and youth-led organisations from 22 countries belong to the MEA network.    

MEA Youth members work collectively towards advancing gender justice, human rights and  social justice in key thematic areas including sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender-based violence (GBV) and HIV prevention. MEA Youth’s highest decision-making mechanism is the MEA Youth annual general meeting (AGM)  which sits once annually. 

The Alliance is governed by a Steering Committee which is elected by the AGM and made up of sub-regional representatives, strategic partners representing organisations working in MEA’s thematic areas and representatives of key constituencies such as youth, women’s rights and LGBTIQ rights.

MEA Youth members implement joint advocacy initiatives on its priority issue areas at national level with their governments, at regional level with Regional Economic Communities (RECS) and at international levels at various platforms . MEA Youth creates platforms for capacity building and strengthening youth leadership to enhance activism and partnership on gender equality and social justice.

MEA Youth Sector Objectives

Build Capacity

Build the programmatic and operational capacity of MenEngage Africa’s youth-serving member organisations on issues related to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, including advocacy with regional human rights bodies, as well as at country level.

Build Capacity

Build the programmatic and operational capacity of MenEngage Africa’s youth-serving member organisations on issues related to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, including advocacy with regional human rights bodies, as well as at country level.

Build Capacity

Build the programmatic and operational capacity of MenEngage Africa’s youth-serving member organisations on issues related to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, including advocacy with regional human rights bodies, as well as at country level.