Youth-Led Activism against Gender-Based Violence

On the final day of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence, USAID Mission Director Sherry F. Carlin and 36 youth participated in a workshop on strategies to reduce gender-based violence. The youth gender champions provided recommendations and next steps for designing a system to refer victims of Gender-Based Violence for youth under the age of 29. During the workshop, USAID Mission Director in Jordan Sherry F. Carlin and the Secretary General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) Dr. Salma Nims, had open discussions with youth members of the Gender Inclusion Learning Club about the main socio-economic challenges facing youth, including Gender-Based Violence.  The workshop led to action plans to adopt recommendations to address Gender-Based Violence in Jordan. 

Mission Director Carlin praised the youth for their determination and commitment, saying, “The commitment you’ve shown to combating Gender-Based Violence is illustrative of what Jordanian youth can achieve collectively and individually. Please know that your voices are being heard and you are remarkable change agents for your communities and country.”

The youth-initiated 'Violence Isn't Power' campaign reached 21,000 Jordanian youth, who are now more aware of Gender-Based Violence and the referral process for victims. In addition, youth advocates established excellent relationships with government and community-based organization stakeholders. USAID aims to create sustainable youth networks who find solutions to the challenges in their communities. 

Since 2017, USAID has supported more than 584 youth-led initiatives through YouthPower in 60 communities in Jordan which has enabled more than 17,961 youth to realize their full potential and pursue their dreams. As the YouthPower activity comes to an end, USAID continues to empower youth to act as engaged citizens and productive members of society, to advocate for themselves, and to shape services to better prepare them to enter higher education, vocational training, and the workforce.