Ms Erika Isabel Yague1, Ms Linh Nong2
1Griffith University, Nathan, Australia, 2International Women's Development Agency, Melbourne, Australia
Biography:
Erika Yague (erika.yague@griffithuni.edu.au) is a PhD Candidate at Griffith University where her dissertation focuses on young people’s engagement in Southeast Asia’s regional peace and security. She is also working part-time with UNICEF Headquarters-New York on Adolescent and Youth Participation in Peace and Humanitarian Emergencies. Erika's expertise is in young people's participation and civic engagement in humanitarian emergencies and peacebuilding. She was formerly the ASEAN-UN Partnership Officer with the United Nations Department of Peacebuilding and Political Affairs-Department of Peacekeeping Operations in Jakarta, and has also worked with UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office, UNFPA-HQ and UNFPA Asia-Pacific Regional Office. Before working with the UN, Erika worked as a humanitarian emergency responder in disaster and conflict contexts in the Philippines. She was also a government-elected youth local councillor in the City of Las Piñas, Philippines, and has been active in youth activist networks in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. Erika holds a Master’s in Peace and Conflict Studies (University of Queensland) through the Rotary Peace Fellowship Programme, a Bachelor of Science in Community Development (University of the Philippines), and a Youth, Peace and Security Leadership Certificate (Columbia University).
Abstract:
This chapter explores the pivotal roles that youth play in shaping peace processes across Southeast Asia, drawing on feminist peace theory to critically analyse both their participation and exclusion. Through case studies from Mindanao, the Philippines, and Myanmar, the chapter highlights how young people, especially young women, utilise their agency and leadership to influence peacebuilding efforts in formal governance and grassroots movements. Despite systemic barriers, such as exclusion from formal decision-making spaces, youth engagement is essential for long-term peace and security. The chapter advocates for applying feminist peace theory to the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda, ensuring that youth participation is meaningful, intersectional, and institutionalised within peace frameworks. By recognising diverse youth experiences, particularly those of marginalised groups, this approach creates a foundation for more just and durable peace outcomes across the region.