Send message to Contributors

Contribution short abstract

Focusing on the Nepal GenZ movement, this paper discusses young people’s political agency and post-movement aspirations of young people and their parents, drawing on interviews with adolescent and parent cohorts involved in the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) longitudinal study.

Contribution long abstract

Young people in Nepal are growing up amidst poly-crisis: rapid digital transformation, globalisation, unemployment, and political instability. Drawing on the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) longitudinal study, this paper explores interconnections between political crisis, young people’s future aspirations and political agency.

The analysis draws on qualitative data, including in-depth interviews with 42 adolescents and 25 parents participating in the longitudinal study and 35 new participants included to ensure geographical and ethnic diversity.

The Nepal Gen Z movement (8–13 September 2025) began as a student-led protest against corruption and nepotism, demanding transparency and accountability. Protesters highlighted stark inequalities between children of politicians—often referred to as “nepo babies”—with the lived realities of young Nepalis. State violence against the protesters, including the killing of 19 students, led to widespread unrest and ultimately the overthrow of the government.

The study finds that, for young people, this was their first engagement with political affairs driven by alignment of political agendas with their lived realities, exclusion from policymaking processes, and uncertainty about the future. Findings also highlight that perceptions of change differ inter-generationally: parents remain largely pessimistic, while young people place cautious hope in post-election leadership and expect vigilance from Gen Z leaders. Employment generation, transparency, and fairness are key expectations, though neither group anticipates a near-term decline in youth migration abroad.

The study concludes that crisis can foster youth political agency by catalyzing informal, youth-friendly mobilization, that may gradually reshape political structures to include youth voice and agency in state affairs.