I still remember feeling a surge of hope I felt when I first got involved in youth activism. I was just 15 then. My friends and I were eager about making a difference–fighting for children’s rights, youth participation, women’s rights, and ensuring securing education for all. We were equally committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and defending our environment from the devastating impacts of climate change.
I held this hope even as I saw first-hand how climate change has hurt local communities – floods, rising sea levels, and disrupted harvests that especially affected women and young people. They had to often bear the brunt of economic crises.
That hope, however, feels increasingly fragile in today’s political climate, particularly after watching the President of the United States (USA).
He has withdrawn the USA from the World Health Organisation (WHO). And his administration’s sharp funding cuts, regressive policies, and the shocking disregard for human rights have cast a dark shadow over the progress we have made so far when it comes to SRHR and climate action.
It cannot be said enough–these policies will impact—or have already started impacting countless people, especially the poor. This is a global crisis, threatening and mocking our collective work and the future we share.
One of my biggest concerns is the reinstatement and expansion of the Global Gag Rule, referred to as the Mexico City Policy.
According to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund[1], the Global Gag Rule effectively forbids foreign non-governmental organisations receiving USA’s global health aid from using their own funds to provide abortion-related services, counselling, or even referrals.
It also stops them from advocating for improvements to abortion laws in their own countries. Imagine being a young person seeking accurate information about your body, only to find the local clinic can no longer provide it for the fear of losing life-saving funds.
Even when women’s rights and SRHR are cornerstones of a just society, these restrictions just strip away our autonomy and dignity, undoing decades of work by grassroots activists around the world.
Add to that the proposed cuts to education and development programmes, and it becomes painfully clear that we are on the edge of a crisis. For youth — especially from the Global Majority — quality education is not just about securing better jobs. It’s a way to break cycles of poverty and discrimination.
I know first-hand how education saved me when I was living in poverty as it offered me the opportunity to compete in a competitive workforce. We often say that investing in women’s and girls’ education is one of the most transformative steps any society can take, yet budget cuts and backward rhetoric are drowning that message.
And then there is the looming climate crisis. In Indonesia, monsoon seasons now come in near-deluges, punishing families who rely on farming and live-in flood-prone coastal areas. It feels like a personal betrayal to watch world leaders abandon climate agreements and roll back environmental protections in favour of short-term gains for big corporations.
Climate justice is a human right. It is about the right to live on healthy land, breathe clean air, and leave behind on a sustainable world to future generations. Every cut to environmental programmes, every denial of climate science, chips away at our future.
I won’t sugar-coat it: this is terrifying. I am worried for the women being denied essential healthcare. I worry that young people will be forced out of school because of funding cuts. And I fear for the planet, which is calling out for urgent action. But as grim as the situation seems, it also pushes me to shout louder, organise better, and stand in solidarity with other youth activists around the world.
We have seen before how collective voices can amplify under pressure and how unity in times of crisis can spark enormous change. Whether through online campaigns, local community meetings, or regional advocacy platforms like the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), which I attended in February as part of my activities with the WOSSO Fellowship, we have opportunities to rally together and demand better. We must put our minds and hearts to it and assemble stronger than ever.
I am thinking out loud a lot, but I — and all young people — deserve better than empty promises, apologies, and excuses. We call for collaborations between UN Bodies, governments, civil society, and young people to protect our rights, our futures, and our planet. Every day that passes is a day lost if we fail to act, and another day of uncertainty for women, youth, and marginalised communities everywhere.
In this moment of turmoil, I am asking you — whoever you are and wherever you come from — to stand with us. Listen to the voices of youth, champion women’s and girls’ rights, insist on quality education, and refuse to accept the erosion of SRHR services. Keep climate justice and gender equality at the heart of your advocacy. Keep holding policymakers accountable. Disrupt the oppressive system. Speak louder and call out the injustice. Our future depends on it, and I, for one, will never allow it to pass us by without a big and hard battle. Let us promise each other to keep believing in our values and vision and to work tirelessly for our future, our brothers and sisters, and our beloved Earth.
[1] Planned Parenthood Action Fund. (n.d.). End global gag rule. Retrieved from https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/communities/planned-parenthood-global/end-global-gag-rule
(By Dina Chaerani, a WOSSO Fellow)