Over the past two years, waves of youth protests have swept across the world. From South Asia to North America and Africa, record numbers of young people have taken to the streets to rally against endemic corruption and rising inequality. In 2025, the ‘Year of Protest’, demonstrations and movements led by Gen Z activists were instrumental in toppling governments in Nepal and Madagascar, while anti‑government rallies in Kenya, campus movements in the United States and student protests in Serbia attracted global attention. Across different political contexts, calls for change from young people have grown louder. But do they feel those calls are being heard?
Are Gen Z’s calls for change being heard?
Political protests by the young have swept the world – but do they feel they are making a difference? To find out, Chatham House canvassed Common Futures Conversations, its global community of under-30s.
The World Today
Published 15 June 2026 — 1 minute READ
Image — Thousands of young people take to the streets in Kathmandu, Nepal in September 2025 to protest government corruption and its social-media ban. Photo: Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto via Getty Images.
