Future-Proofing: The Professionalization of an Anti-Rights Youth Generation

In this episode, Eszter Kismődi and Jamie Vernaelde, Senior researcher at Ipas, explore how anti-rights movements cultivate young people’s involvement from an early age, using schools, universities and campus organisations as entry points. They trace how this involvement can continue through internships, professional training, mentoring and political networks, creating pathways into positions of influence in law, medicine, communications, advocacy and policy.Drawing on examples from different countries and contexts, the conversation examines how movements invest in young people not only as activists, but as future professionals and leaders. It looks at the role of education, professional networks, funding, social media and long-term relationship-building in sustaining influence over decades.The episode asks what these strategies mean for sexual and reproductive health and rights, and what can be learned about the importance of investing in the next generation of SRHR advocates, researchers and professionals.Read the full report from Ipas: https://www.ipas.org/resource/future-proofing-the-professionalization-of-an-anti-rights-youth-generation/