The One Young World Politician of the Year Award recognises the world's most outstanding politicians between the ages of 18 - 35, who are using their positions to have a positive impact on young people in their communities and countries. Through their important work, these candidates highlight the benefit of including young people in politics.
These three young politicians have all been selected as winners based on the influential work they have carried out in their countries and communities.
The winners were selected from a shortlist by One Young World's expert judging panel and will be presented with this award at the One Young World Summit Munich, 2025.
The Winners
Sunita Dangol
Sunita Dangol is the Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Nepal, and a trailblazing youth leader inspiring a new generation to enter public service with purpose and integrity. Elected at 29, she champions inclusive, grassroots-driven politics that bridge tradition with innovation.
Before politics, Sunita co-founded Callijatra, a creative movement to revive Nepal Lipi (Newah script), conducting over 100 workshops and engaging more than 5,000 youth. A passionate cultural advocate, she was also crowned Miss Newa 2011, using the platform to promote linguistic and cultural pride among indigenous communities.
In office, she oversees key sectors such as justice, education, health, and urban planning. She pioneered 32 mediation centres and women’s cells that provide free legal aid, counselling, and referrals—benefiting over 55,000 people, especially women and marginalized groups, in just over a year.
Sunita is also actively promoting women’s entrepreneurship, supporting economic independence through training and access to markets. Her leadership model advances gender equity, youth engagement, and inclusive service delivery, transforming how cities like Kathmandu embrace both heritage and progress.
Recognised nationally and internationally, she was recently named a Young Global Leader 2025 by the World Economic Forum. Her journey from farmland to city hall embodies the power of youth-led, culturally grounded, transformative leadership.
Jie Huang
Born in Kaohsiung, Huang Jie was elected to the Legislative Yuan at the age of 30, becoming Taiwan's first openly LGBTQ+ parliamentarian and the youngest member of the 11th Legislative Yuan. She is dedicated to promoting generational justice, gender equality, national security, and transitional justice, actively advocating for human rights. While politics has traditionally been dominated by men and older generations, Huang's emergence demonstrates the civic engagement spirit of Taiwan's younger generation.
Together with Democratic Progressive Party legislators, she has promoted the "Youth Fundamental Act," requiring the government to systematically address youth policies and encourage youth participation. She continues to advance reforms particularly important to youth groups, including addressing period poverty, combating digital sexual violence, and supporting various national security bills to defend Taiwan's sovereignty.
In 2024, she was selected for both TIME magazine's TIME100 Next list and the BBC's 100 Women list, becoming the first Taiwanese woman politician to receive these honors.
Zaynab Mohamed
Zaynab Mohamed is a trailblazing state senator, translator, and global leader from South Minneapolis, Minnesota. The youngest woman ever elected to the Minnesota Senate, she made history as its first female Muslim member and one of the few Black women to serve in the chamber. As a proud immigrant and community organiser, Senator Mohamed brings a lived experience to policymaking that centres equity, inclusion, and justice.
She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Senate Jobs and Economic Development Committee, where she played a pivotal role in securing grants and loans to rebuild small businesses following the 2020 civil unrest. She was instrumental in passing Minnesota’s landmark Driver’s License for All legislation, ensuring access to driver’s licenses for all adult residents regardless of immigration status. Her legislative portfolio also includes championing tenant protections, housing assistance, and efforts to address systemic inequality through comprehensive economic policies.
In 2025, Mohamed was selected as a Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network (TILN) Fellow, a program that cultivates rising, diverse political leaders across Europe and North America. She will speak at the Brussels Forum in Belgium, where she will highlight the critical role of young people in shaping transatlantic relations and building inclusive democracies.
Mohamed chairs the Minnesota Senate’s People of Colour and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus and is a key voice on the Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council, advocating for public health and harm reduction strategies. She is also the legislative architect behind the creation of Minnesota’s Office of New Americans, a groundbreaking state-led network to support immigrant and refugee integration through cross-agency collaboration and policy innovation.
In 2024, Mohamed was named a Young Concordia Leadership Fellow and completed the Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development, both prestigious programs that recognise visionary public servants driving transformational change.
A graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in Human Resource Development, Mohamed brings a uniquely global, intersectional, and youth-centred lens to her work—bridging communities, countries, and generations in the pursuit of a more just and inclusive world.