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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.

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June 20, 2017
Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake of Sri Lanka - Envoy on Youth

United Nations Secretary-General An

June 19, 2017
"We are not too young to run": Youth in Nigeria march to support bill

Despite comprising almost half of t

June 19, 2017
Building skills for youth political participation in Guinea, by NDI

Approximately 60 percent of Guinea’

Videos

International IDEA introduces the Youth Democracy Academy

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June 14, 2017

International IDEA introduces the Youth Democracy Academy

International IDEA’s Youth Democracy Academy is designed to ensure that young women and men, too often marginalized from politica

International IDEA’s Youth Democracy Academy is designed to ensure that young women and men, too often marginalized from politica

Yves Leterme, Secretary-General of International IDEA, speaks during the seminar.
May 31, 2017
Youth role in future representation and participation, discussed at International IDEA round table

Do new generations of citizens

Interviews

RAU report finds that violence discourages young women from participating in politics in Zimbabwe

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April 24, 2017

RAU report finds that violence discourages young women from participating in politics in Zimbabwe