Many of the young people we surveyed held high ambitions to support their families and communities, and many of them aim for some form of ‘financial success.’ Nevertheless, the reported daily realities of few opportunities, insecurity, low pay, and high interest rates hamper their potential. This report shares the voices and experiences of 1,270 young people from low-income communities across 21 countries. Their insights and recommendations spell out how banks might tailor their offer to the needs of young people—which could enable them to make the contributions they dream of.
The challenges young people face require a collaborative and intergenerational response. Young people hold important knowledge about which structures constrain their opportunities. Young people often also have a strong sense of what they want to do but often do not have the power and resources to make this possible. Bringing together young people with policymakers, civil society, academics, and the business community offers an opportunity to combine the diverse experience, knowledge, power, and resources of these groups. Done authentically and respectfully, such collaboration would offer a powerful response to this acute global challenge.
Dr Anna Barford and Katie Hyson
Dr Anna Barford, Bye Fellow in Geography, Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge
Katie Hyson is Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty
