In Senegal, youth participation in public decision-making remains limited and unequal—especially at the local and municipal levels. While some youth organizations have access to institutional platforms, many young people working in the informal economy are left out of the conversation.
Among them are the highly visible Jakarta moto-taxi drivers. These young riders play a central role in urban mobility and youth employment, yet they face road insecurity, economic precarity, and social stigma. Despite their importance, they are rarely consulted in the development of transport policies that directly affect their livelihoods.
The INSPIRED 360 – Civic Engagement Project aims to change that.
The initiative takes place in the framework of the WYDE Civic Engagement project. It is built on a simple but powerful idea: sustainable youth political participation requires collective organisation, stronger advocacy skills, and real access to decision-making spaces. By bringing together structured youth organisations, informal Jakarta driver collectives, and non-organised young people, the project seeks to build inclusive coalitions capable of influencing both local and national reforms.
Through training in public policy, local governance, and advocacy—combined with structured dialogue forums with municipal authorities—the project will support young people in developing concrete reform proposals. Key priorities include official municipal recognition of moto-taxi drivers, improved road safety measures, clearer regulatory frameworks, and better access to social protection services.
With upcoming municipal elections presenting both risks and opportunities, INSPIRED 360 also supports young people’s inclusion in electoral lists, representation in municipal councils, and stronger engagement in local democratic processes.
By strengthening youth coalitions and creating structured spaces for policy and political dialogue, the project aims to foster more inclusive mobility policies—contributing not only to safer transport systems, but also to youth employment, social cohesion, and democratic renewal across Senegal.
In doing so, young people—particularly those from the informal sector—move from the margins to the center of public policy conversations.
