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IMPACT AFRICA

Africa Is

Young and

Female

L’Afrique est jeune et

féminine

Rédacteur en chef

frica is young because 65%
of the African population is
under 30 and this population
is expected to double in a
“Acouple of years. By 2050,
half of the world will be African.”

Aya Chebbi, an award-winning Pan-African
feminist, is the first African Union Youth Envoy
and the youngest diplomat at the African Union
Commission Chairperson’s cabinet. She is the
founder of multiple platforms such as Youth
Program of Holistic Empowerment Mentoring
(Y-PHEM) which coaches the next generation
to be positive change agents, Africa Youth
Movement (AYM), one of Africa’s largest Pan-
African youth-led movements and Afresist,
a youth leadership program and multimedia
platform documenting youth work in Africa. She
served on the board of directors of CIVICUS
World Alliance for Citizen Participation, the
World Refugee Council and Oxfam Independent
Commission on Sexual Misconduct.

How did you discover your passion and ambition
for this type of work?
“I encountered different experiences that opened
my eyes around my African identity. Then I
started crossing borders and travelling across
the continent to support young leaders and
movement builders. It was a journey of self-
discovery and when I found my African identity,
it defined my mission which is to unite African
youth into pan Africanism and positive social
change.”

What’s a day in your life like?
“I don’t have a daily routine; each day is different
from the other days. I travel a lot, am constantly
on the move and have a very dynamic lifestyle. I
go to different counties to engage with different
stakeholders such as partners, member states,

27 The Africa We Want