The achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals depends on the meaningful participation of young people in decisions that shape their lives. Yet despite the fact that more than half of Africa’s population is made up of young people aged 15 to 35, their voices remain largely absent from decision-making spaces. Youth-led research, where young people lead every stage of the research process from design to dissemination, is increasingly recognised as a powerful way to address this gap by generating relevant evidence, strengthening youth leadership and ensuring that policies reflect lived realities.
A recent youth-led research initiative in Malawi and Zambia offers important insights into both the promise and the challenges of this approach, particularly in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The research was conducted under the Break Free! programme, which aims to strengthen young people’s SRHR and promote gender equality across nine African countries between 2021 and 2025. Implemented by the Break Free! Alliance led by Plan International Netherlands, in partnership with SRHR Africa Trust and the Forum for African Women Educationalists, the programme included a youth-focused intervention called YouthWyze that combines online SRHR information with offline youth clubs and outreach services.
The study explored how young people aged 15 to 24 access SRHR information and services through both digital and community-based channels, with a particular focus on YouthWyze. It was carried out in selected districts in Malawi and Zambia between 2021 and 2022 by a research team composed entirely of young researchers aged 25 to 29. The team was supported by the KIT Institute as the research partner and guided by a senior researcher with extensive experience in youth SRHR and participatory research.
Central to the study was a youth reference group made up of SRHR advocates from Malawi and Zambia, all under the age of 30. This group played an active role throughout the research cycle, contributing to the study design, co-developing research tools and validating findings. Their involvement ensured that youth perspectives remained at the centre of the research and helped strengthen accountability between researchers and participants.
The study used a mixed-methods approach, including focus group discussions with young people, in-depth interviews with health workers, youth and key informants, and an online survey of YouthWyze users. In addition, ‘Future Forward’ workshops were organised in both countries, where youth advocates used creative foresight methods such as drawing and interactive activities to imagine the future of SRH services. These workshops treated young people’s imagination and lived experience as valuable sources of data.
Reflecting on the research process, the team identified several key lessons that highlight both the strengths and demands of youth-led research. One of the most important insights was the value of combining seasoned and emerging youth researchers. While local researchers brought deep contextual knowledge and experience in data collection, more experienced team members contributed project management skills, methodological expertise and institutional backing. This balance created opportunities for mutual learning and built trust within the team.
The research also demonstrated that youth-led approaches require flexibility in time, budget and working methods. Capacity-building, regular check-ins and collaborative tool development took more time and resources than initially anticipated. However, this flexibility proved essential in strengthening the quality of the research and ensuring that all team members felt confident and supported throughout the process.
Youth leadership significantly enhanced the relevance and quality of the study findings. Research tools were adapted to use simpler language and youth-friendly elements, making them more accessible and engaging. Interviews conducted by young researchers fostered openness and trust, particularly on sensitive SRHR topics. The involvement of youth in validating findings helped identify blind spots, add nuance and generate practical recommendations, such as diversifying language use and communication styles on SRHR digital platforms.
Trust among stakeholders emerged as another critical factor. Institutional support from KIT and existing partnerships within the Break Free! Alliance provided credibility, resources and protection for youth researchers. At the same time, the visible leadership of young people challenged assumptions about who can generate credible knowledge, with some participants expressing surprise and admiration at seeing peers lead complex research processes.
The study also placed strong emphasis on creating a positive and equitable working culture. Clear expectations, shared learning spaces and open conversations about power dynamics helped foster collaboration and accountability. Although power imbalances linked to global research partnerships could not be fully eliminated, deliberate efforts to acknowledge and shift power enabled youth researchers to take ownership of the work and grow professionally.
In conclusion, the experience of conducting youth-led SRHR research in Malawi and Zambia demonstrates that such approaches are not only feasible but highly valuable. Success depends on strong institutional support, mentorship, flexible resources and a genuine commitment to youth leadership beyond token participation. When these conditions are met, youth-led research can enhance evidence quality, build young people’s capacities and challenge traditional hierarchies of knowledge production.
The findings underscore that young people are not a homogenous group and that youth-led research must be attentive to diversity, intersectionality and context. While this approach may not be suitable for every topic or setting, it offers a transformative model for inclusive research and policy engagement. By centring young people as knowledge producers rather than passive participants, youth-led research has the potential to reshape how SRHR evidence is generated and how decisions affecting young lives are made.
