Young Women Are Reimagining Leadership in Canada’s Nonprofit Sector

In this special International Day of the Girl episode of Let’s Imagine, host Bruce MacDonald sits down with two trailblazers who are reshaping what leadership looks like in Canada’s nonprofit sector: Anjum Sultana, Director of Policy Advocacy, Partnerships, and Youth Leadership at Plan International Canada, and Emma Asiedu-Akrofi, CEO of FORA Network for Change.

Women represent 77% of the nonprofit workforce, and young people make up 32%. Yet many of the structures and norms that govern the sector were not designed with young leaders in mind. From rigid hierarchies to outdated governance models, barriers still stand in the way of young women, girls, and gender-diverse youth who want to lead.

In this episode, we explore what meaningful youth leadership looks like, how funders can better support youth-led initiatives, how youth advisory councils can be powerful vehicles for shifting decision-making, and what systemic changes are needed to share power equitably. They also share personal reflections on their journeys, the barriers they’ve faced, and the hope they carry for a future shaped by the next generation of changemakers.

For nonprofits, this conversation is a call to action: if you say you value youth leadership, how are you proving it?

Make sure to check out our full episode list. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

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