Youth
The recently concluded pilot young women’s empowerment academies on political participation convened by International IDEA through the European Union (EU) funded Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) Women’s Leadership Initiative provided a space to debunk social gender norms that are barriers to political participation and identifying areas for transformation. The academies are an opportunity for learning, sharing and questioning existing social gender norms whilst providing practical solutions to inclusive democracy.
Young women politicians face a quagmire when they aspire to be politicians. The multilayered barriers they face are a result of how patriarchy is used as a resource in politics to silence women and keep them out of politics.
The framework of Access = Participation + Representation = Transformative has been key in dismantling patriarchy within politics, it is evident that a lot of hurdles still need to be overcome as we celebrate IWD2025. Shockingly, the pilot academies reveal how young women face abuse which is often inclusive of economic abuse as they vie for political positions. The godfather syndrome in politics continues to gnaw its way to power through minimising the role of young women in politics contrary to the fact that Sub-Saharan Africa has a youthful population.
While some male political actors are agents provocateurs in perpetuating patriarchy, there is a growing pool of male advocates who promote young women’s political participation. It was evident from the Southern and Eastern African pilot academies held in February 2025, that political leadership from the party structures needs to be inclusive. The role of the media especially in this digital age is important in transforming social gender norms in politics through increasing women sources in political news, guarding against meritocracy targeted at only women politicians, preventing online violence against women politicians that is technology facilitated and providing a space of solidarity for women politicians.
Acknowledging the contextual background and political environment of young women politicians is important when debunking social gender norms in politics. These social gender norms have ripple effects on how they manifest throughout the ecological model – from individuals, to community, to society and institutions. Whilst the academies acknowledged that transforming social gender norms takes time as it involves changing the mindsets and behaviours of individuals within political institutions, the role of political will accelerates this transformation. Hence, whilst patriarchy is questioning the role of gender quotas in politics, these are a demonstration of political will to correct historic imbalances of power in politics and guard against future inequalities.
The academies pointed out that the state of a country’s politics reflects the existing social gender norms. This is evident in the high levels of violence against women politicians which is a continuum of gender-based violence in a society – a demonstration of power by one gender over another. The young women politicians shared heart wrenching experiences of violence they have faced and continue to face in politics. The intersectionality of this violence with age, disability, socio-economic status, marital status and education amongst others is worrying. With only under five years to achieve Sustainable Development Goal Five (SDG5), many countries require a radical embrace of transformative female leadership.
Read here the full article published by International IDEA on 7 March 2025.
The Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) Women’s Leadership Initiative convened a Southern African Young Women´s Empowerment Academy in Malawi between 11 to 13 February 2025. The Academy focused on promoting additional empowerment strategies for young women to politicians from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The Minister of Gender, Community Development, and Social Welfare, honourable Jean Muonaouza Sendeza opened the Southern Africa Academy for Young Women’s Empowerment. She emphasized that the initiative did not just represent an event but a transformative journey that will shape the future of the region. Through such interventions young women will be able to claim their rightful place in shaping policies that govern us all. By investing in its greatest asset, the potential of its young women together we can build a more inclusive society’. She further thanked the European Union, International IDEA and other WYDE partners for their support in making such an initiative possible.
Michele Crimella, Team Leader for Social Sectors, European Union and Fatma Mohamed Abdelkarim from UN Women Malawi also gave remarks, expressing their support and continued commitment for the young women politicians in their political leadership journey. The European Union Ambassador to Malawi H.E Rune Skinnebach, also attended the event and expressed support to the young women politicians urging them to take gender equality as moral duty and a matter of social justice.
This training of a diverse group engaged participants in discussing strategies to transform traditionally patriarchal political structures into gender-balanced ones. Through the Access=Participation & Representation=Transformation approach, this academy for young women’s empowerment focused on discussing key themes related to gender inclusive political participation. Through capacity development exercises, knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning participants were able to engage with deep-rooted narratives surrounding patriarchal social norms, build networks of building and solidarity and be active advocates for transformative social change. Participants throughout the academy were asked to develop and polish their personal development plans based on the discussions throughout the three days.
MANGWE Rural District Council proportional representation Councillor Simphiwe Vuyelwa Mguni is among the Zimbabwean representatives attending the Southern Africa Academy for Young Women’s Empowerment in Malawi.
The event, which brings together 30 participants from South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Namibia, aims to enhance young women’s leadership and political engagement. Cllr Mguni is representing Zimbabwe alongside Ms Anna Sande and Mrs Tendai Chatikobo.
Her participation marks a major milestone, particularly as she represents a rural community under the Government’s 30 percent women’s quota system at the local government level, which was implemented during the 2023 harmonised elections.
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), in collaboration with UN Women, is hosting the three-day event, which began on Tuesday and concludes tomorrow.
Read here the full article published by The Chronicle on 12 February 2025.
Image by The Chronicle
India, being the world’s largest democracy, envisions democratic participation as the cornerstone of India’s political system. Democratic decentralization or the grassroot level democracy is deeply embedded in ancient Indian philosophy and traditions.
The 73rd constitutional amendment in India, introduced in 1992 has elevated the concept of inclusive growth through democratic decentralization to a remarkable height.
Throughout Indian history, women have been at the forefront of political participation. Women’s representation in the first Lok Sabha was 5% which was increased to 15% during 2023 Lok Sabha. The Women representation percentage for 2023 Rajya Sabha was 13%. Additionally, Panchayati Raj institutions in India also ensure one-third reservation for female candidates out of the total number of seats. Currently, 20 Indian states have made provision for 50% women’s reservation in state PRIs.
Read here the full article published by Youth Ki Awaaz on 25 January 2025.
Image by Youth Ki Awaaz
Looking back on all of the women that I have met over the years, the oppression, lack of opportunities, and expectations that were placed upon them, all I see is strength—strength passed from mother to daughter. In today’s world, women are defining the rules of the political game and leadership. They are entering the political field as dynamic leaders, demanding and changing the politics of all domains.
Digital platforms have democratized access to political participation, enabling more women to engage actively in political spheres. Through technology, women can express themselves and engage with a relevant communication platform, thus eradicating barriers that have in the past limited women’s political engagement. This is not just a change of political power dynamics, but also a sign that the time has come for women to become masters of the future.
Read here the full article published by The Annapurna Express on 15 January 2025.
Image by The Annapurna Express
In the wake of Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed self-coup on December 3, South Korean citizens took to the streets to protect the country’s democracy, staging a massive protest led by women in their 20s and 30s. The participation of young female K-Pop fans in particular has drawn attention to women’s role in the peaceful protests, while images of Democratic Party spokeswoman Ahn Gwi-Ryeong defiantly grabbing a soldier’s rifle inspired worldwide admiration.
The strong political consciousness of South Korean women is far from a new phenomenon.
Women have historically been at the forefront of resistance and activism, from women-led labor organizing in the 1970s under the Park Chung-hee dictatorship, to the 2016 protests against his daughter, former President Park Geun-hye. Candlelight movements – a repeated form of peaceful protest in South Korea – originated in vigils held in memory of two middle school girls accidentally killed by a U.S. military vehicle in 2002, and gained prominence during the protests against U.S. beef import (largely led by teenage girls) in 2008 and again during the protests leading up to the impeachment of Park in 2016.
Read here the full article published by The Diplomat on 31 December 2024.
Image by The Diplomat
Context
Women across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region continue to face underrepresentation in political and economic spheres, which limits their ability to shape important political and economic decisions. Although several countries in the region have introduced rules to increase women’s participation, their perspectives and needs remain largely excluded from both national and regional negotiations. Furthermore, as conflicts in the region persist and escalate, women face additional barriers, which undermine the progress already made towards achieving gender equality.
Approach
The project focuses on increasing women’s political and economic participation in the MENA region through targeted actions and collaborations. To achieve this, it implements the following measures:
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The project provides tailored advice and development opportunities to economic and political change agents, enhancing the impact of their work.
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It shares successful and innovative strategies across the region to encourage adoption in other countries, with the goal of increasing women’s participation.
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The project cooperates with national and regional networks to implement measures that promote women’s involvement in economic and political life.
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It promotes women’s fundamental human rights, ensuring they can influence policies that advance gender equality and inclusion in the MENA region.
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The project raises awareness across various age groups, fostering a more active role for women in political and economic activities.
Read here the full article published by GIZ on 8 November 2024.
Image by GIZ
This scoping study presents an in-depth exploration of youth political participation, focusing on the design and implementation of youth-related policies. The policy tracker study is based on a comprehensive literature and policy review, tracking key developments from 1980 to 2023. It covers three main areas:
•Youth involvement in political affairs,
•Participation in elections,
•And engagement in civil society, with an emphasis on democratic environments.
It is divided into two key parts, examining academic literature and significant policy shifts across four distinct epochs, providing valuable insights for policymakers and programme designers in the field of youth political engagement.
By systemically analysing research and policy documents that have shaped the policy discourse over the last four decades, the study brings a new perspective on the evolution of youth participation in politics across four key epochs. It offers a unique chronological order highlighting key trends and shifts in youth policymaking while situating them within broader democratic practices. By expanding the understanding of youth participation, the study provides insights for future avenues of research and development of more youth-inclusive policies.
Read here the full report published by the Youth Democracy Report on 16 September 2024.
Image credits: Youth Democracy Cohort
Several Indonesian thinktanks have unofficially assessed that female representation in Indonesia’s national parliament (DPR) for the term 2024-2029 would stand at about 19.65 per cent. If this proves correct, the proportion of women legislators in the new government will be lower than in previous years. During the 2019-2024 term, women’s representation in the DPR was at 20.9 per cent, surpassing 17.32 per cent after the 2014 elections, whereas during Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s presidency (2004 and 2009 elections), women legislators accounted for only 11.1 and 17.86 per cent of legislators, respectively.
While improvements in Indonesia’s electoral system and the internal structures of political parties are needed to provide more opportunities for women to participate in politics, the cultural attitudes of young voters (17-40 years old) towards gender roles and female political leadership are also crucial. As the most significant demographic of voters in the recent elections, at 56 per cent of the electorate, Indonesia’s youth wield significant influence. Examining their current attitudes toward gender equality is essential for envisioning the future of women’s political participation and leadership.
Read here the full article published by Fulcrum on 24 April 2024.
Photo by Fulcrum
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Last week, former prime minister Tony Abbott called for more women to be represented in the Australian parliament. While his comments were focused on the Liberal Party, they did remind us of the consistent gap that remains between the number of men and women in the nation’s parliament.
This is highly problematic, as a lack of women in the national legislature suggests our political system is misfiring.
The inequality of gender representation also undermines the democratic notion of government being for the people, by the people.
This problem isn’t unique to Australia, as many other countries continue to have fewer women than men representing the community in the national parliament.
Australia became a world leader when, in 1902, women gained the power to vote, and also stand for election to the parliament of Australia. But it took more than 40 years until, in 1943, Enid Lyons and Dorothy Tangney became the first women elected to the national parliament.
The situation has changed since the 1940s, but we’re still a long way from enjoying gender parity in parliament. For example, at the start of 2024, Australia was ranked 37th in the world for the percentage of women in its national parliament, with just 38% of seats in the House of Representatives (where governments are formed) being held by women. The story is somewhat better in the upper house, as 57% of seats are occupied by women.
Read here the full article published by the Monash University on 15 April 2024.
Image source: Monash University
Three quarters (77%) of women are not comfortable expressing political opinions online because of fears they will be targeted by harmful online behaviours such as misogyny, trolling, threats and harassment, according to new research published today (Wednesday 20 March) at AI UK, the UK's national showcase of data science and AI hosted by The Alan Turing Institute.
The survey found that while men and women reported seeing harmful content online almost equally overall, women reported being directly targeted by misogyny, cyberstalking, cyberflashing, eating disorder content, and image based sexual abuse to a significantly greater extent than men.
Women are also significantly more fearful of experiencing every type of harm that they were asked about.
The research also found that women were 96% more likely than men to say they had been left feeling sad or low as a result of an online experience, and 47% more likely than men to say they had been left with physical symptoms such as insomnia or headaches.
The research also looked at the use of safety tools and across all seven tools surveyed, including disabling location sharing, making accounts private and limiting who can engage with posts, women consistently report using these tools to a greater extent than men. This could suggest that women feel the need to do more to protect themselves from online harms.
Click here to read the full article published by The Alan Turing Institute on 20 March 2024.
Image source: The Alan Turing Institute
Young people form a large share of the global population, but they make up only a small proportion of members of parliament around the world. This disparity is greatest among younger cohorts: while half of people worldwide are under age 30, and 18% of people are between the ages of 20 and 29, this report finds that only 2.8% of parliamentarians are aged 30 or under. The exclusion of youth from these spaces is not only unjust, but also has important policy implications. By virtue of their age, younger generations will live the longest with the consequences of legislation passed today. If young people’s voices are not heard, these laws are not likely to reflect their political priorities and perspectives, making it less likely that attention will be paid to issues like education, unemployment and climate change.
Click here to read the full report published by the Inter-Parliamentary Union on 19 October 2023.