TO celebrate the Year of Young People, every week in 2018 The National is giving a platform to a young Scot. This week, 22-year-old Katie-Rebecca.

THE Year of Young People is an ideal opportunity for Scotland’s young people to make their voices heard and for decision-makers to listen in a real and meaningful way.

Of course young people already campaign on the issues that matter to them – there’s a reason the Oxford Dictionary made “youthquake” its word of the year for 2017. But sometimes it can feel that, however hard we try, our voices aren’t breaking through. It’s my hope 2018 will be the year that changes.

As a member of Girlguiding Scotland I feel really lucky to be part of the organisation that believes in empowering girls to use their voice. Everything we do in Girlguiding is girl-led, so even as a Brownie at age seven I was already getting to decide on what badges we did, and help plan the trips and adventures we went on.

As I got older, the opportunities to speak up increased too. I trained to become a Girlguiding Peer Educator, which means I visit different units in my area teaching girls about body confidence and mental wellbeing. I’m so proud to be able talk to girls about my own experiences and give them the opportunity to speak up and be confident talking about the things that matter to them. And I’ve just started a really exciting role as a Girlguiding Advocate, where I’ll have the chance to represent our young members and speak out on issues that affect girls in the media, in parliament and more.

At Girlguiding Scotland I’ve seen time and time again the impact we can have when girls speak up and take action. In recent years we’ve campaigned for an end to sexual harassment in school, taken action to tackle period poverty and collected 8,000 shoes for refugees.

But I also know far too many young people don’t have the opportunity to make their voice heard. Outside of Girlguiding, the first time I felt truly listened to wasn’t until I had finished school and started work. Looking back, I wonder how different my own experiences in school and everyday life might have been if I’d felt I had the opportunity to speak up and be listened too.

Many decisions that affect young people are made with little or no input from us, even when they have long-lasting consequences for our future. As a young person and especially a young woman, it can sometimes be difficult to speak up. When the average age of MSPs is still over 50 and just 35 per cent of MSPS are women, it’s clear there’s still a long way to go to ensuring our politicians truly reflect the country they serve.

But there are reasons to be positive – in recent years we’ve seen the voting age for Scottish elections lowered to 16 while a whole generation have grown up seeing women hold positions of power, including First Minister and Prime Minister. Technology has given us a platform to speak out and connect with others.

All of this makes the Year of Young People a really exciting opportunity for young people – and a chance to show just how much can be achieved when we are a part of the conversation.

After all the year of young people isn’t just about us – it’s about how young people can make a difference and have an impact in their communities and across the country. So let’s make sure 2018 isn’t just a one-off, but the year we empower young people to make real change and ensure future generations always feel heard.