Rose Mabiza

04-03-2024

Can empowered youth build a fairer, sustainable future?

Image by LightFieldStudios via Envato Elements

World Population Day 2025: "Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world"

Every year on 11 July, the world marks World Population Day, a global observance initiated by the United Nations to focus attention on urgent issues relating to population growth, reproductive health, gender equality, and sustainable development.

The theme for World Population Day 2025 is:

“Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world.”

This message places young people at the centre of a critical conversation - one that affects not only individuals and communities but also the systems that regulate and support them. In this blog, we explore the meaning behind this year’s theme, why it matters in the context of highly regulated sectors, and how organisations, especially in health, social care, and education, can play an active role in supporting a more equitable and empowered future for all.

Understanding the theme - Why youth empowerment and family autonomy matter

Today’s youth are the largest generation in history. Yet across the world, millions of young people still face barriers when it comes to accessing accurate information, quality healthcare, reproductive services, and the freedom to make informed decisions about their lives and families.

This year’s World Population Day calls for action in three key areas:

1. Access to reproductive healthcare

Young people must be able to access safe, affordable, and confidential family planning services. In regulated sectors, this requires providers to maintain compliance with standards around consent, safeguarding, confidentiality, and equality.

2. Education and awareness

Comprehensive education around relationships, reproductive rights, and gender equality empowers youth to make informed choices. It also fosters cultural competence and respect in professional settings, especially important in roles where workers engage directly with vulnerable individuals.

3. Creating a fair and hopeful world

A “fair” world means tackling structural inequalities. A “hopeful” world means providing young people with opportunities for growth, well-being, and meaningful contribution to society. For regulated organisations, this includes inclusive hiring, targeted training, and trauma-informed practice.

Why this theme is relevant for regulated organisations

Whether you manage a care home, run a healthcare service, oversee a training provider, or operate in education, population awareness isn’t abstract - it’s operational. The 2025 theme is especially relevant for organisations working within compliance frameworks set by the CQC, Ofsted, NHS, and other regulatory bodies.

Here’s how:

1. Supporting reproductive rights through policy and practice

Healthcare providers, especially those offering sexual health services, maternity care, or mental health support, must ensure that services are non-judgmental, youth-friendly, and culturally responsive. Compliance with safeguarding protocols, consent procedures, and data privacy legislation (e.g. GDPR) is essential.

2. Inclusive and Responsive Education

Schools and training providers are key agents in empowering young people. In regulated settings, this means:

• Delivering Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) in line with government standards
• Offering mental health support
• Ensuring access for learners with diverse needs and backgrounds
• Training staff in trauma-informed and culturally competent practices.

3. Improving access for young people in care or transition

Children in care, young carers, and those transitioning into adult services often fall through the cracks. Regulated services must create seamless pathways between health, social care, and education to ensure these young people do not face further disadvantage.

4. Training the workforce to respond proactively

Organisations must train staff to understand youth issues not just from a compliance standpoint, but from a compassionate, human rights-based perspective. This includes:

• Safeguarding and child protection
• Equality and diversity
• Mental health awareness
• Confidentiality and consent.

Digital training systems like ComplyPlus™ LMS and TMS can support large-scale delivery of consistent, role-specific learning across teams.

The role of local authorities and interagency working

Empowering young people isn’t a job for a single provider - it requires collaboration across the system.

Local Authorities (LAs) are often at the centre of youth support services, leading on:

• Commissioning health and education services
• Managing safeguarding partnerships
• Monitoring training compliance
• Setting local strategies for youth wellbeing, family support, and housing.

For regulated providers, this means:

• Participating in Multi-Agency Safeguarding Arrangements (MASAs)
• Aligning with local strategic needs assessments
• Demonstrating engagement during audits and inspections
• Ensuring staff are aware of referral pathways and joint protocols.

By working in partnership, organisations can create joined-up care and education experiences that genuinely reflect young people's realities and priorities.

Practical actions - What regulated providers can do

To translate the 2025 theme into meaningful action, here are five practical steps that regulated organisations can take:

1. Audit your services through a youth-centred lens

Are your services accessible to young people? Do policies reflect the realities of youth today? Are there systems in place for youth voice, choice, and feedback?

2. Invest in relevant staff training

Training should cover key areas like youth mental health, trauma-informed care, inclusive communication, and LGBTQ+ inclusion. Your training offer must evolve alongside the people you serve.

3. Update your policies and risk assessments

Ensure documentation is updated to reflect current legislation, best practice, and local priorities on youth empowerment, safeguarding, and rights-based care.

4. Engage in multi-agency forums

Build relationships with local councils, youth charities, health boards, and regulators. Cross-sector knowledge sharing drives better outcomes and stronger compliance.

5. Promote awareness internally and externally

Use ‘’World Population Day’’ as a moment to raise internal awareness, run campaigns, and update your wider community about the steps you’re taking to support young people.

A generation at the centre of change

World Population Day 2025 reminds us that empowering youth is not just about giving young people information - it’s about building systems, services, and cultures where they can thrive. In regulated environments, this requires intentional action: robust training, inclusive policy, interagency collaboration, and a commitment to learning and adaptation.

For those in health care, social care, education, and community services, this theme is a timely call to align practice with purpose. Because when young people are given the tools, support, and freedom to shape their futures, we don’t just create better families - we build stronger, fairer societies.

Turn awareness into action with ComplyPlus™

World Population Day 2025 calls on all of us - especially regulated organisations - to create environments where young people feel empowered, informed, and supported.

At The Mandatory Training Group, we help organisations respond to today’s challenges with innovative, scalable solutions. With ComplyPlus™, you can manage workforce training, safeguarding responsibilities, and compliance documentation in one secure, integrated platform - built for the realities of modern service delivery.

Last updated on 11-07-2025

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