Youth

Youth

Youth

While young people play central and catalyzing roles in movements for democracy around the world, they are less engaged than older generations in voting and party activism. As of 2016 people between the ages of 20 and 44 make up 57% of the world’s voting age population but only 26% of the world’s Members of Parliament (MPs). Young people under 30 only represent 1.9% of the world’s MP’s and more than 80% of the world’s upper houses of Parliament have no MPs aged under 30. While male MPs outnumber female MPs in every age category, gender imbalance is less pronounced among younger MPs around the world. This suggests that young men and women may be more likely to make way for new faces and voices to be represented in decision-making (Inter-parliamentary Union Youth Participation in National Parliaments, 2016). Strategies that may promote the engagement of youth in political processes include: youth quotas; legal reforms to align the voting age with the minimum age for elected officials; proportional representation electoral systems; inclusive parliaments and local governance; removal of barriers for youth electoral participation; outreach and recruitment of students by political parties; and targeted outreach to youth political candidates.

News

24.11.2023
Stop onslaught on young women leaders
Kenya has tried to bridge the gender divide in appointive and elective positions through legislation such as the two-thirds gender bill now failed several times. But there’s a new pandemic for young...
13.11.2023
City in Kyoto Prefecture elects youngest female mayor in Japan
Despite lacking ties to this city and being described as a poor public speaker, a former social worker won an election here to become the youngest female mayor in Japan.Shoko Kawata, 33, bested two...
20.10.2023
Lawmakers are getting younger but not everywhere
The latest IPU report on Youth Participation in Parliament reveals that parliaments are getting slightly younger, with small increases in the number of parliamentarians under 45 years old. However,...
05.09.2023
Enugu youths, women should participate in politics
A civil society organisation keen on amplifying voices of women in Nigeria, TechHerNG, has encouraged women in the country to engage and participate in politics.This was as the organisation committed...
09.08.2023
Reformative changes are being made to increase the representation of women in po...
During a meeting with students from Girls’ High School Kandy, President Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed his strong commitment to increasing women’s representation in politics through reformative...
07.08.2023
Pressing need to encourage young women to enter politics, says Wanita MCA chairm...
There is a pressing need to empower and encourage more young women to get involved in politics, says Wanita MCA national chairman Wong You Fong.Wong said that the party’s women's wing would look into...
04.08.2023
Building the evidence base on participation of indigenous peoples in elections
For the past year, IFES has partnered with three global organizations fighting for the political, social, and economic rights of Indigenous Peoples, including Indigenous women and Indigenous persons...
03.08.2023
Women dialogue identifies factors impeding participation in politics
Participants at a one-day postmortem dialogue on assessing violence against women and women’s participation in the 2023 general elections on Wednesday have identified the patriarchal nature of...
02.08.2023
Study finds women get outnumbered by men in studying legislative politics
It’s no secret that men outnumber women in the halls of Congress and in other political arenas, but new research from Rice University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of...

iKNOW Politics Partners Resources

Inter-Parliamentary Union
Youth participation in national parliaments: 2023
Inter-Parliamentary Union
Lawmakers are getting younger but not everywhere
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA)
Promoting the role of youth in political and democratic spaces
Promoting the role of youth in political and democratic spaces (International IDEA)
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA)
Promoting the role of youth in political and democratic spaces
Snapshot from the 15 November online peer-to-peer dialogue, Promoting the role of youth in political and democratic spaces (International IDEA