WSG student represents SA at the G20 Youth Forum

 Lutfiyya Dean, a Master of Management student at the Wits School of Governance (WSG) will head the South African Youth delegation to represent the country at the G20 Youth Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 10 to 17 August 2024.

South Africa will play an important international role in 2025 as president of the G20.       

Y20 enables dialogue between young people from G20 member countries. Youth leaders, like Dean, will have the opportunity to reflect on the priority agenda of youth; to influence debates; and to contribute to the preparation of public policies.

Youth participation in both the political and international decision-making processes is vital. According to the G20 presidency, the youth’s perspectives and innovations are fundamental to addressing issues that are relevant to the world—ranging from climate change and sustainability to social justice and economic inclusion.

For this year’s participation, representatives will focus on these thematic areas including: Fighting hunger, poverty, and inequality; Climate change, energy transition and sustainable development; Reform of the global governance system; Inclusion and diversity; and Innovation and the future of the world of work.

Dean and the SA team will propose policies that speak to key governance challenges such as trade, loadshedding, ethics, equality in leadership and the professional sector, decolonising education, period poverty and empowerment of marginalised groups through sustainability.

“Women are integral in shaping the global governance space through policy making and leadership. This largely contributes to the objective of bringing diverse perspectives together, driving inclusive solutions, and advocating for equitable policies that address the needs of all members of society,” said Dean.

Head of School, Professor Themba Maseko said it’s an incredible opportunity for WSG students to participate in such forums.

“It is important for students to experience learning policy in the classroom settings and see it translate to action in the real world. We need high-quality policy-makers, policy analysts, policy advisors in South Africa and the continent to address the challenges we face, and I am pleased to see one of our students participate in this forum,” said Maseko.

More about Dean:

Lutfiyya Dean is a policy advisor, youth activist and researcher and has recently obtained her certification for the Global leadership programme at the State University of New York, University of Buffalo with the School of Management. She holds a Bachelor of Arts honours degree in International Relations and Political Studies as well as a General BA degree from the University of Witwatersrand.

Her focus areas include gender, education, climate change and decolonisation policy development and theoretical frameworks as well as problem solving. Lutfiyya is also a Policy Advisor in Education Policy and Advocacy for the All-African Students Union (AASU). She has served as the regional spokesperson for the South African Students Congress Organization (SASCO), the largest student movement in South Africa, within the Greater Johannesburg region. Her focus area is policy work that advocates for free, equal, and decolonised education and equality for women, children, and the youth. She previously served as a research intern at one of the leading research institutes in Africa, the Wits Reproductive Health, and HIV Institute.

Her past work includes policy work for global institutes such as the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) as well as serving as a pedagogical team member for the OBESSU study session on decolonising education. Through this international engagement she has produced a publication on decolonising education. She has been nominated for GCE Youth Action Group as the South African representative. She strives towards a better future for the global south and marginalised groups on a larger scale through purposeful and passionate humanitarian contributions.