Pakistan at the European Youth Table

Samreen Khan Ghauri

Islamabad: On June 13, I had the profound honor of representing Pakistan at the European Youth Event (EYE 2025) held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

Speaking before a global gathering of youth leaders, policymakers, and civil society actors from across Europe and beyond, I shared not just my perspective but the lived experiences, struggles, and aspirations of millions of young people, women, and marginalized communities in Pakistan who remain underrepresented in national and international decision-making forums.

This wasn’t merely a speaking engagement. It was a moment of responsibility — to present Pakistan’s untold stories, to challenge dominant narratives, and to reaffirm our collective commitment to inclusive democracy, youth political engagement, and gender equity.

Having worked for over a decade at the grassroots level in Pakistan, I have seen firsthand how systemic barriers silence voices that most need to be heard. The absence of women and youth at the decision-making table is not a gap; it is a structural injustice.

Participating in EYE 2025 gave me the opportunity to confront that injustice — not only by speaking truth to power, but by standing in solidarity with young changemakers from around the world who are demanding better, fairer, and more inclusive systems.

My visit to Strasbourg was part of a broader official trip to Europe from June 11 to 17. In Mainz, Germany, I joined the Advance Leadership Programme — a unique initiative that brought together emerging political leaders from Asia and Europe.

Through in-depth discussions on parliamentary systems, political parties, and effective policymaking, the program offered a critical space to examine the foundations of democracy, the challenges it faces, and the role of youth in safeguarding it.

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What stood out most during these engagements was the deep resonance between global challenges — whether it’s climate justice, democratic backsliding, gender inequality, or youth disenfranchisement.

Our contexts may differ, but the struggles we face are interconnected. The solutions, too, must be collaborative.

EYE 2025, in particular, was a vibrant testament to what youth can accomplish when they are given a platform. It was a space not just of dialogue, but of disruption — where young people dared to question the status quo, propose radical alternatives, and imagine a world that is not just sustainable, but just.

As Executive Director of Social Development Enterprise and an SBCC specialist committed to rights-based change, I return home with new energy, sharper insight, and a deeper sense of duty. What I witnessed in Europe will directly inform and enrich our work in Pakistan — especially efforts to amplify youth voices, expand political participation for women, and build coalitions across diverse communities.

Pakistan’s young people are not a silent majority. They are powerful agents of transformation. But they need space, support, and international solidarity to thrive.

My participation in these forums was a small but meaningful step toward bridging that gap — and I hope it opens more doors for emerging Pakistani leaders who are ready to shape the world with bold ideas and compassionate action.

We don’t just belong in the global conversation — we are essential to it.

The article is the writer’s opinion, it may or may not adhere to the organization’s editorial policy.