We asked Ruby why it’s important to give a platform to young Lived Experience voices and what it’s been like partnering with the RightByYou team.
“When majority of policy reform, campaigning and law is enacted by adults, listening to the perspective of young people can provide real insights into underlying issues they face. Real people, real stories, real emotions.
“This allows stakeholders to consider what solutions can be made for young people based on what young people need… not what adults interpret as young people needing based on statistics.”
A need for youth-focused FDV resources
“Working with an organisation that really prioritises the voices and experiences of youth has been really rewarding because unfortunately, it’s not often that you see organisations really catering for youth.
“There are a lot of organisations that focus on alleviating issues that youth face through educating caregivers or adult professionals and whilst these organisations do some incredible work, it’s a really hard task to be able to properly solve an issue without hearing from the young people who are experiencing it.
“Through the Neami and Kids of Purple partnership, I have loved being able to share my perspective as a young person with lived experience to help close the gap in support for young people affected by domestic and family violence.
“Not many young people get the opportunity to work closely with an organisation, so being listened to and heard through this partnership has made me feel less insecure about societal age stigmas that can often restrict young people from having the confidence to share their lived experience.
“Consequently, as a young advocate, working with Neami has empowered me to continue shedding light on the issues that young people face so that we can create a brighter future for youth.”
To learn more about Ruby’s work, head to the Kids of Purple website.
