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Writer's pictureAngellah Manda

Building a Resilient CYGEN

Updated: Aug 8

Angellah Manda (She/Her) - Membership & Engagement - CYGEN Executive Committee

As a Commonwealth Youth Network, the Commonwealth Youth Gender and Equality Network (CYGEN) strives to hold membership in all Commonwealth countries. Each year, global membership calls are opened for youths between the ages of 18 – 30. CYGEN has recently opened a membership call for youth gender activists from the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Brunei, Cyprus, Dominica, Eswatini, Gabon, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nauru, Namibia, New Zealand, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United Kingdom and Vanuatu.


These countries were selected because of their current underrepresentation in CYGEN. This call for membership will remain open, and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Such is the importance of youth representation from all countries, and all regions across the Commonwealth; as we all know, discriminatory gender norms rooted in gender inequality are a central factor affecting the lives of young people in the Commonwealth and globally today. Young people are too often the victims of gender-based discrimination, prejudice and violence, yet they are central to forming solutions and championing equality.


Why CYGEN? Simply put, CYGEN is the only gender youth-based organisation within the Commonwealth that seeks to improve the position of young people across all Commonwealth countries, and advocate for increased meaningful youth engagement and participation in existing structures, processes, and governance.


Through CYGEN, gender advocates have the opportunity to bring to light key policy issues across the Commonwealth. CYGEN then becomes a medium through which youth gender champions can collectively advocate for policy change that significantly improves the lives of young people. Your work with us can truly make a difference.


As a CYGEN member, you will have access to unique opportunities for skills training from within the network and its wide range of partners. Additionally, you can tap into the resources of the CYGEN Knowledge Hub, a comprehensive resource pool with toolkits, infographics, and fact-based research. These resources are designed to help you grow and succeed in your professional work, making your membership a valuable asset.


How can you help CYGEN build its membership? You can share the call for applications widely in your different networks. Applications can be made through https://bit.ly/CYGEN2024.


A global membership call for all Commonwealth countries will open at the end of the year, and information on this will be shared.

 

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Royal Commonwealth Society.

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