My fever dream at UN climate conference COP30
When diplomacy drags its feet, the real momentum comes from the margins, writes young activist Eezu Tan.
Equality Accelerator
In a world of intersecting crises, many girls and marginalised young people are calling for and leading change.
The Equality Accelerator is a youth-centred funding platform where young people lead the decision-making.
We channel flexible, unrestricted funds directly to organisations run by young changemakers, particularly young women driving progress.
Co-created with young activists, the Equality Accelerator (EA) provides fast, flexible, and participatory funding directly to youth-led organisations.
Through a simplified process, peer-reviewed participatory approach to decisions, and tailored support, EA breaks down the barriers that have long excluded youth from traditional donor systems.
Why does this matter?
Traditional funding rarely reaches informal, unregistered, or marginalised youth groups. EA was created to fill this gap – shifting power to the young changemakers closest to the issues.
Accessible in six languages, low-data friendly, and usable in low-connectivity contexts, the EA platform enables youth-led funding across diverse geographies. Its open architecture means it can be locally managed, globally scaled, and adapted to multiple funding partners.
What makes Equality Accelerator different?
- Youth-led decision-making at every stage – shifting power and decision-making from traditional structures to young activists themselves.
- Flexible, unrestricted grants that resource core costs and automatous youth led action & activism
- Fast, simplified processes designed with youth and internal youth-centred funding practices
- Accessible, inclusive design built for low-bandwidth environments
Our impact so far
- €1 million distributed directly to girl- and youth-led groups
- 240+ youth-led organisations funded across 41 countries
- 9 funds completed, 3 funds live
- 5,500+ YLOs and 7,500+ young activists registered
- Grants from €1,000 – €10,000 supporting both core operations and projects
The EA has supported groups across the youth movement ecosystem: from informal collectives to structured organisations with paid staff.
At the heart of all our work is one core belief: young people are not just beneficiaries, they are leaders, creators, and decision-makers.
Young people are not just beneficiaries, they are leaders, creators, and decision-makers.
What’s next?
As the EA approaches its five-year milestone, we will celebrate €1 million in grants to autonomous youth-led groups – marking Plan International’s evolving role as a bridge between donors and young leaders.
The next phase focuses on expanding reach without compromising values: deepening our accompaniment model, strengthening youth-defined impact measurement, and scaling what works.
Our vision is clear: a world where youth-led change is not the exception – but the norm.
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