Advocating for more equitable

decision-making spaces for young leaders  

We want to ensure all spaces of power feel incomplete without gender-marginalized youth in the room, through research, workshops, and connecting young leaders with opportunities to make their voices heard.

We’re addressing root causes and barriers that prevent young leaders from fully and meaningfully engaging in spaces of power and challenging social norms around who is a leader.    

Fora approaches our advocacy work through three pillars:

  • EQUITY

    We want more young leaders marginalized by their gender from more diverse backgrounds to be equipped to lead. This means dismantling policy, funding and other barriers that disproportionately impact diverse leaders, and equalize opportunities, access and supports.

  • PUBLIC LIFE

    We want public and private institutions to meaningfully engage young leaders marginalized by their gender and consider young leaders unique needs and abilities in their work. This means expanding the institutions and sectors of public life young leaders are engaged in; and challenge decision-making frameworks that exclude young leaders unique needs and skills.

  • REDEFINING LEADERSHIP

    We want the qualities young leaders marginalized by their gender possess to be valued as core leadership abilities, and that they are considered excellent leaders. This means challenging root causes and barriers young leaders marginalized by their gender are facing and stereotypes of a good leader. 

What does Advocacy look like at Fora? 

We approach our advocacy through projects and initiatives under the following four key streams: Direct Engagement, Policy, Partnerships, and Public Campaigns and Communications.

Learn more about our current projects and initiatives below.  

The first step towards hacking the system and providing young leaders an equitable chance at social and economic prosperity is to question the injustice faced by young women and everyone else marginalized by their gender.

— Mekhalaa Muraly, Fora Advocacy research assistant