10 Reflections on Compensating Girl and Youth Activists

“While we fully understand the pitfalls of becoming over-professionalised, we cannot be silent on demanding compensation when it is due — and especially when it is overdue.” Ruby Johnson and Devi Leiper O’Malley, A Young Feminist New Order

The question of whether to compensate girls and young people for their time and expertise, though not new, is a topical one. The above quote is from an article written in 2018 by the former Co-Executive Directors of FRIDA. It summarises beautifully both a challenge and call to action for anyone working in partnership with girls and youth activists.

The Young Feminist Manifesto, which put forth a critical response to how girls and young feminists were engaged in the Generation Equality process, reflected that “young people are often seen as “willing volunteers’’ and stereotyped for not needing to provide for their family, homes or themselves. It is essential to give recognition and compensation to youth activists, to recognize [their] time, expertise, and overall contributions.”

Young people are not often considered for mainstream paid opportunities because they are seen to lack professional experience. Being more intentional about fair compensation for their contributions is a powerful way to validate their expertise and demonstrate that their perspectives, knowledge and skills are worth financial and non-financial investment. Over the past years, we have conducted several research projects into participatory approaches with girls and young people, which reiterated this.

We have found that public conversation on compensation seems to focus on the why. What has been somewhat missing is a more practical discussion on what this should look like in practice.

Looking back on our own experience (good and bad!), we offer 10 reflections and recommendations:

1. Take time to assess whether this is a volunteering opportunity or a paid role. This new scoping paper from CIVICUS and Restless Development includes a decision-making tree to help guide you.
2. Learn from others and test new ways to come up with a stipend amount. We have seen organisations use an hourly rate (building in flexibility for data and hardware wear and tear) or base it on a consultant’s day rate, though both vary hugely. A third approach has been to choose a larger sum to cover several months, though this has raised concerns from girls and young people of backlash and jealousy as well as safeguarding issues when it is taken out as a lump sum in cash. Research suggests it should be a token, not a payment for work, which comes with tax implications, insurance requirements, labour laws to be followed, rightly so, and contractual obligations to deliver. To summarise, there is no one set way. We encourage organisations to talk with each other and to girls and young people. Be open to learning and to testing.
3. Don’t forget non-financial options. Recognition does not just come in the form of money. Through participatory processes we have run, we learnt that non-financial compensation such as certificates, recommendation letters, data packages, training opportunities and named credits (e.g. in a report) are really welcome and appreciated.
4. Include details in a Terms of Reference or shared agreement. This should outline what financial and non-financial compensation will be provided, how and by when. Include details up front for how financial compensation will be adapted and paid pro rata if there is lower participation or drop off. Look ahead at the project timeline and see if there might be national holidays or staff absences that could hold up the process later on.
5. Think through the safety risks together. Be in conversation with girls and young people about potential safety risks of being sent money, particularly internationally. In some countries local laws will restrict money being sent internationally or to people under the age of 18. You may also need to obtain parental consent.
6. Do not make assumptions about young people’s capacity to manage money and don’t patronise. We have seen girls and young people reject assumptions by adult partners around their capacity to manage money or regarding their financial responsibilities. Be deliberate about challenging ageist stereotypes around money as you design a framework for compensation.
7. Offer support if it is needed. The flip-side of the sixth recommendation! We have both worked with girl and young people who asked for help to think through potential safety risks, to navigate how money should be transferred and to explore together examples of non-financial compensation. Be open to discussing this and thinking through how to mitigate risks together. It should be a shared responsibility.
8. Tailor payment methods. A diverse group, in diverse contexts, requires a contextualised approach. You will likely need a tailored approach for each individual including: bank transfers, transfer to family’s bank accounts, Western Union, PayPay and cash payments (directly or through a local organisation). Agree what this will be up front. Don’t leave it until the end. From the onset, clearly communicate the modalities for compensation and agree how money will be paid. If your finance team will be responsible for making the payment, involve them from the get-go.
9. Don’t reinforce colonial inequalities through different stipend rates. For global groups, decide on a set rate for the whole group and do not tailor it depending on location. We have seen this cause conflict within a group. It also risks reinforcing colonial structures and inequalities (check out reflections on this from Purposeful’s Co-CEOs in ‘Building Our Feminist Hub’). Localising rates, while taking into account the cost of living, does not take into account other factors such as the availability of funding opportunities, passport and visa justice (with implications for where you can live), as well as family and inherited wealth.
10. Be open to learning and create space for feedback. Ask for feedback through both open conversation and anonymous channels like a survey. Girls and youth may have ideas for how to do things differently. Be open to changing your approach, particularly if the remit or commitment expected of the group changes.

Useful resources:

• Elevate Children Funder’s Group ‘Weaving a Collective Tapestry: A Toolkit on Child and Youth Participation’ — we were part of a research team with Ruby Johnson and Trimita Chakma. The toolkit is based on recommendations with children and young people and includes case studies and practical examples from funders and NGOs.
• Bacalso, C. and Moxon, D. ‘Maximising Benefits: A Recommended Framework for Volunteerism and Compensation for Young people’ , published by CIVICUS and Restless Development — this scoping paper is useful to anyone wishing to develop their own compensation policy.
• Leap Ambassadors share examples of financial stipends rates in this article. In Practice: How Foundations can Compensate Stakeholders for Their Time. https://www.leapambassadors.org/ambassador-insights/in-practice-how-foundations-can-compensate-stakeholders-for-their-time/

Do you have any more recommendations or resources to share? We would love to add them.

If you are also grappling with the question of compensation or if your organisation is looking for support in thinking through a compensation framework for girls and young people, do not hesitate to reach out.

Georgia & Olaoluwa

Co-authors Georgia Booth and Olaoluwa Abagun