In May 2023, youth workers from Spain joined the Erasmus+ training course Gender-Driven Sustainability, held in Benalmádena, a small but vibrant town on the southern coast. This international project brought together young professionals from across Europe to explore how gender equality and environmental sustainability are deeply connected. The course included practical workshops, shared reflections, and real-life case studies to help youth workers build their skills in supporting gender-responsive climate action. For the participants representing Asociación GO GREEN – Avanzando hacia el crecimiento verde y el desarrollo sostenible, the experience offered not only knowledge but a renewed sense of purpose. It helped them see how their local work in sustainable development could grow stronger by embracing inclusion and gender fairness.
In Spain, the challenges of sustainable development have been growing. While national and regional governments have made efforts to promote green energy, climate adaptation, and eco-tourism, social inequalities have slowed down some of the progress. In May 2023, many rural areas still lacked access to sustainability education and green infrastructure. Young people living in small towns or working-class neighborhoods often felt disconnected from national climate goals. At the same time, women and gender-diverse youth were still underrepresented in environmental leadership, especially in local communities. Many environmental projects focused more on technology than on community needs, and this left behind voices that were already marginalized.
GO GREEN had long worked to support green development at the grassroots level, but before the training, the organization had not deeply considered the link between sustainability and gender. In many of their workshops, they noticed that young men were more likely to lead discussions, while young women hesitated to take space. Some rural girls said they felt uncomfortable joining public clean-up actions or speaking about climate change in school, fearing judgment. Youth from immigrant families or gender-nonconforming identities were almost entirely missing from local events. The team realized that sustainability without inclusion was missing something important—and the Benalmádena training helped them understand exactly what that was.
The training course in Benalmádena opened a new perspective. The Spanish team saw how climate challenges are never neutral. They affect people differently depending on where they live, what they earn, and how society sees them. During the training, they learned about the concept of the gender-climate nexus, which shows how women and girls often face greater risks from environmental problems but also have powerful roles in building solutions. Case studies from other European countries showed how gender-inclusive planning made projects more effective, from urban gardens to zero-waste initiatives. One particularly moving session focused on storytelling, where participants shared personal stories of exclusion, survival, and resilience. The emotional power of those stories helped the GO GREEN team realize that technical knowledge is not enough. True sustainability also requires listening, empathy, and shared responsibility.
Inspired by the experience, the team returned home and launched a new community-based program called Raíces Iguales, meaning “Equal Roots.” The project aimed to involve young people—especially girls, LGBTQ+ youth, and young people from rural areas—in shaping local sustainability actions with a focus on inclusion and equality. The first stage included open workshops in small towns and schools, where participants could explore environmental topics alongside social identity and leadership. These sessions used creative tools such as collective mural painting, walking debates, and storytelling circles to build connection and understanding.
One of the first results came in a village outside Málaga, where a group of high school students decided to design a green corridor between two neighborhoods using recycled materials and native plants. The group was made up mostly of young women, many of whom had never participated in any civic action before. With guidance from the GO GREEN team, they planned the route, spoke to local authorities, and engaged the wider community in helping to build the space. What began as a small activity soon turned into a symbol of community collaboration, with children, parents, and elderly neighbors joining in.
Raíces Iguales also included a “Green Voices” mentorship program. In this part of the project, young people who had taken part in the workshops could choose to be mentored in leading their own micro-projects. Some organized community film screenings about eco-activism and gender equality. Others created digital campaigns using Instagram reels and short interviews to show the hidden roles of women in local agriculture and food sustainability. The mentoring sessions were short but personal, focused on helping participants feel confident in their ideas and able to express their values in their own way.
The impact of the project began to spread. Local schools started asking for more inclusive climate education. Municipal offices included youth input in the design of public green spaces. In some areas, the project helped build bridges between older environmental groups and younger voices, especially when youth brought fresh ideas to traditional settings. The project also created a toolkit of methods for running gender-inclusive sustainability workshops, which was shared with educators, NGOs, and municipal youth offices.
For GO GREEN, the change was not only visible in the community—it also happened within the team. Staff began rethinking how they structure events, write invitations, and choose partners. They noticed how making small changes—such as using gender-neutral language, offering anonymous sign-up forms, or creating informal spaces for discussion—helped more young people feel safe to join. They also began to include sessions on gender and participation in all their sustainability programs, ensuring that inclusion was not an extra topic but a core value.
The training in Benalmádena gave the team the courage to make these changes. It helped them connect global ideas with local needs, and it reminded them that youth work is always about the people first. Technology, funding, and policies matter—but without real inclusion, progress will always be limited. When everyone has a voice, the roots of sustainability grow deeper and stronger.
Looking ahead, GO GREEN plans to expand Raíces Iguales to other regions of Spain, especially those where youth participation is still low. They also hope to connect with other organizations across Europe to share practices, co-create new projects, and learn more about the different ways communities are building just and inclusive green futures. For them, the work is only beginning.
Young people today are full of ideas, energy, and care for the planet. But too often, systems do not give them space to act. Through inclusive civic engagement and gender-aware planning, youth organizations like GO GREEN can help unlock that energy and turn it into something lasting. Sustainability is not only about the future—it’s about who gets to shape it today. And in that work, every voice counts.