Youth participation represents a cornerstone of democratic governance, enabling young people to be involved in the decisions that shape their future. In Romania, there are various degrees of young people participation in decision making process that range from informing to consultation, involvement and even, collaboration. Despite the development of various institutional structures to enable youth participation in education, social protection, civic life, environment, policy, not all young people have equal access to participation. This presentation explores the youth participation in Romania, focusing on the main challenges faced by young people from rural areas. It examines the factors contributing to the exclusion of rural youth and assesses the effectiveness of existing mechanisms in promoting meaningful and inclusive participation. The article is based on a comprehensive study on youth participation in Romania carried out in 2022. The research methodology included desk research and qualitative data collection. The document analysis focused on identifying the institutional and organizational frameworks that regulate the participation of young people in decision-making and on identifying the specific challenges rural youth face. Qualitative data collection included interviews and focus groups with young people, relevant non-governmental organizations, public institutions, and professionals working with youth. Main barriers to rural youth participation identified in the research include low awareness of youth's rights, especially the right to participate, which often leads to a lack of support from adults, low support from the family, lack of a culture of communication and consultation in schools, which leads to decisions being made without the input of students, low level of training regarding youth participation for staff working with young people, compounded by a shortage of youth workers, especially in rural areas. Atthesametime,limitedopportunitiesforparticipationforyoungpeopleinruralareasarelinkedtovariouspracticalandorganizationalchallengessuchasthelackofaccessiblespacesforactivitiesortransportoptions.Inaddition,financialconstraintsdiscourageinitiativesthatpromoteyouthinvolvementandlimitaccesstoresourcesforruralyouth.Thepresentationdiscussestheunevenrepresentationofyoungpeoplebasedongeographic,socio-economic,andeducationalfactorsandemphasizestheneedformoreinclusiverecruitmentandretentionstrategies.