By: Evelyn Kpadeh Seagbeh
Adolescents and youth from across Africa have adopted and presented a robust 2026–2028 Action Plan to Accelerate Gender Justice and Rights, signaling the rise of a powerful, continent-wide movement aimed at transforming the lives of young people ahead of the next Adolescent Girls Summit in 2028.
The action plan was officially unveiled at the climax of the 3rd Adolescent Girls Summit held in Yamoussoukro, where more than 200 adolescents and youth gathered to shape a shared vision for the future. Their voices were joined by representatives from governments, international NGOs, United Nations agencies, civil society organizations, community and religious leaders, funders, and private sector actors.
Participants from 25 countries across Africa- including Liberia, Europe, and Latin America contributed to the discussions, making the summit a vibrant platform for cross-continental collaboration and youth-led advocacy.
The resulting action plan reflects a strong, unified commitment to advancing gender equality, protecting rights, and ensuring meaningful opportunities for adolescents especially girls across the continent.For participants, the adoption of the action plan signals a shift from dialogue to concrete action.
“Adolescents are important component of the population and you cannot decide for them if they are not included in rooms in which decisions about their lives are being made.” Said Alaaya Fauziyyah, adolescent leaders of Safe the Future of Children Initiative Nigeria.
With clear priorities and a renewed sense of urgency, the youth-led agenda sets the tone for sustained action and accountability over the next two years, building momentum toward the 2028 summit reinforces the critical role of young people as drivers of change in Africa’s development journey.
Uniquely, the summit was entirely planned by adolescents and youth between, the age 10–25, with support from the Global Fund for Children and its local partners in West Africa, reinforcing the central message that young people are not just participants but leaders in shaping their future.
The newly adopted action plan outlines what adolescents from across Africa describe as collective actions to advance gender justice and rights, focusing on creating inclusive societies where young people are actively involved in decisions that affect their lives.
“They envision societies where every girl, boy, young woman, and young man are listened to, respected, and meaningfully involved in decisions that affect their lives.
They call this their ‘Vision as a Pan African Adolescents and Youth Movement for Gender Justice and Rights.’”
The plan also underscores the desire of young people to grow up in environments that promote equality, dignity, and inclusion free from violence, discrimination, and harmful practices—and where all have equal access to education, health services, and economic opportunities.Key Priorities: Health, Climate, and Inclusion.
Among its major pillars, the action plan emphasizes access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), with adolescents calling for age-appropriate information, safe spaces, and youth-friendly services, including mental health support.
Participants also integrated climate justice into their agenda, stressing the urgency of including young voices in environmental decision-making.
“They want to have access to green spaces, clean air and water, and sustainable livelihoods, and are empowered to actively shape solutions that protect the planet and ensure a healthy environment for present and future generations.”
Through the action plan, adolescents and youth committed to creating and strengthening safe spaces for engagement, using arts and digital platforms to amplify their voices, and promoting leadership opportunities for girls and marginalized groups.
They further pledged to collaborate with communities and institutions to co-create solutions, influence policies, and hold systems accountable for implementing laws and programs that protect their rights, while strengthening a Pan-African movement that connects young leaders across borders.
In an interview, Liberian participant Precious Ngafua, an intern at the AGS, emphasized the importance of representation and advocacy on critical issues affecting young people: “We are talking about teenage pregnancy, Female Genital Cutting, and I am looking forward to have proper understanding to be able to speak out more about these issues that affect young people.”
Participants said their goal is to translate the commitments outlined in the action plan into tangible change within their communities.
“What I hope to see after the summit is life impacting solutions, how we’re going to take practical solutions back to our communities.” Said Alaaya Fauziyyah, Adolescent Leader of Safe the Future Children Inititive-Nigeria.
The 2026 summit builds on momentum from the previous edition, where participants called for greater language inclusion and advocated for hosting the gathering in a French-speaking country realized this year in Côte d’Ivoire.
While discussions covered a wide range of issues from youth leadership and decision-making to access to opportunities the adoption of the 2026–2028 Action Plan stands as the summit’s defining outcome.
“All they need is support because youth are not just the future, but are the present.” Precious told this paper.
As the summit concludes, adolescents and youth leave Yamoussoukro not only with a shared vision, but with a clear roadmap to drive gender justice and rights across Africa firmly positioning themselves at the forefront of change.
