Break Free! Climate change, youth, and SRHR: Intersections with gender equality and education, and pathways to resilience
Findings from a validated literature review with youth advocates and stakeholders in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia
- Authors
- Pam Baatsen, Hannah Kabelka, Anne Karam
- Publication year
- August 2025
The Break Free! (BF!) programme is dedicated to strengthening the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of adolescents and young people aged 10–24, while also promoting gender equality and ensuring access to quality education
Building on insights from regional learning sessions held in 2024, the programme identified an urgent need to better understand the ways in which climate change is shaping SRHR, education, and gender equality outcomes in Southern Africa. In particular, there is a growing recognition of the importance of identifying strategies that can enhance climate resilience in these interconnected areas.
This study was therefore undertaken under the BF! programme to examine the youth-specific impacts of climate change and the strategies young people can use to strengthen resilience across SRHR, gender equality, and education. The research draws on a comprehensive literature review, youth-led validation workshops, and key informant consultations conducted in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia.
The present report shares the findings and insights emerging from this work across the three countries involved.
