In this Youth Month special, Plan International’s Chief Programme Officer Damien Queally joins youth host Ciara O’Brien to unpack what truly locally led, gender-responsive programming looks like—especially where climate shocks meet the built environment.

“If you’re not bringing young voices in, you’re making decisions with your eyes closed.”

From safe, climate-resilient schools and health centres to inclusive streets, water systems, and shelters that protect girls, Damien makes the case for community-owned solutions that put young people—particularly girls—at the centre of how we design, govern, and maintain the places we live.

Tune into Plan International Chief Programmes Officer, Damien Queally, and Plan International Global Young Influencer, Ciara O’Brien, as they discuss their work with Plan International, a global organisation focused on improving the lives of girls and women in the developing world in a sustainable and equitable way. Their conversation focuses around their approach to this work, youth leadership within the organisation, and current affairs.  

“We shouldn’t be in a community for 30 or 40 years—our job is to help build self-reliance and shift ownership locally.”

As Plan International focuses on International Day of the Girl 2025, we dive into the campaign in more detail. The launch of the 2025 State of the World Girls Report has caused a stir in the international community. Damien and Ciara explore the specifics of the research and the global implications. 

The role of international institutions is in question a lot more often with the roll-back on rights and the rise of anti-rights groups globally. Taking a balanced approach, we address the advantages and disadvantages of delegating social justice work to international organisations. We explore the role that organisations like Plan International can play in approaching global issues such as gender equality. 

Why listen to this Plan International podcast

• Real local leadership: 98.5% of Plan’s staff are from the countries they work in, shifting power to people who understand the culture, risks, and climate realities.

• Youth at the table (not the side room): Young people now hold voting seats in Plan’s Members’ Assembly and sit on steering committees for major global projects.

• Gender & climate lens in action: From menstrual dignity in emergencies to cash assistance and psychosocial support, programs are designed with communities to withstand compounding climate shocks.

• Ending child marriage: Clear-eyed insights on laws vs. implementation, harmful norms, economic drivers—and how education and girls’ economic opportunities shift outcomes, even as climate stress heightens risks.

“In a climate era of droughts, floods, displacement, hunger—community-owned solutions are non-negotiable.”

Plan International built environment spotlight

• Safe, resilient schools: Elevated, ventilated classrooms; gender-safe WASH; routes to school designed with girls’ safety in mind.

• Inclusive public spaces: Lighting, transport, and facilities co-designed with young people so girls can access services and livelihoods.

• Climate-smart basics: Rainwater harvesting, flood-resilient health posts, and shelters that account for privacy, period products, and protection risks.

• Youth as co-designers: Participatory mapping and budgeting so local plans reflect lived experience—not assumptions.

What we cover

• Plan’s program DNA: Early childhood development, education, protection from violence, SRHR, livelihoods & youth economic empowerment—plus LEAD, the youth participation thread running through everything.

• Localisation that lasts: Genuine partnerships, skills transfer, and avoiding long-term dependency by strengthening local civil society and government accountability.

• Climate reality check: How droughts, floods, hunger, and displacement are reshaping needs—and why solidarity “at home and abroad” isn’t either/or.

• From tokenism to power: How youth seats with voting rights and regular roles in strategy and program design are changing decisions—and outcomes.

• Child marriage now: Prevalence, the “choice” that isn’t, early pregnancy risks, mental health impacts, and community strategies that keep girls in school and expand futures.

• Micro-grants that spark movements: Inside youth-led accelerators and micro-grants that pair small funding with real-world budgeting and delivery skills.

• Cutting through noise: Fighting disinformation with plain language and human stories, not jargon.

Meet the team

Damien Queally

As Global Director, Programmes and Operations, Damien strives to make Plan International the world’s go-to organisation for girls’ rights through high-quality programme delivery.

Damien Queallhy Plan-International

His focus is to build on the organisation’s experience to-date and ensure the organisation at all levels has the insights and information needed to allow for timely and relevant interventions to advance our mission.

In his role, Damien is eager to further promote and implement a more gendered approach to Disaster Risk Management, while simultaneously strengthening Plan International’s dual mandate in both development and humanitarian work – enhancing our vision of being the go-to agency for girls in crisis.  

Ciara O’Brien

Ciara O’Brien is a Philosophy, Political Science, Economics and Sociology student from Ireland. Outside of university, Ciara advocates for issues surrounding gender equality, education, and mental health. They bring a compassionate and pragmatic mindset to their work, and ensure that intersectionality is at the heart of everything that they do.

Ciara O Brien

This unique approach has been curated by working with diverse organisations on diverse causes, including forced displacement, environmental sustainability and disability inclusion. Ciara’s main work has been with Plan International. Initially joining the organisation at age 17, they have continued to work for Plan throughout their later teenage years.

They have represented Plan at the UN Headquarters in Geneva, the EU Parliament in Brussels and the Garda (police) Headquarters in Dublin. They currently hold positions as a Youth Advisory Panel member with Plan Ireland, a Global Young Influencer Group member with Plan International and a Marketing and Fundraising Committee member with Plan Ireland. Ultimately, Ciara works to ensure that individuals with both minority and dual identities are represented and respected in their work.