In Brazil, they rallied online by the millions, sharing videos and spreading memes. In Serbia, they cycled across Europe and ran ultramarathons to make their voices heard.
Both movements burst into international public view last month as they became central during election campaigns to the pushback against authoritarianism. What they also offered, however, was a window into a wider phenomenon playing out across the globe, as youth-led movements reshape political landscapes.
“Gen Z is rising,” said Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard Kennedy School. “It is abundantly clear that a significant proportion of gen Z is tired of sitting on the sidelines while their political systems fail them.”
Researchers have documented at least 25 protests around the world in which this age group – roughly those between the ages of 14 and 29 – has played a role.
From Bangladesh to Belgium and Italy to India, it seems gen Z, who account for about a third of the world’s population, have found their voice. “Gen Z may be experiencing a global political awakening,” Chenoweth wrote in a recent essay. » | Ashifa Kassam and Lex McMenamin | Monday, November 9, 2026
