Women in politics and youth: For comprehensive representation
Source: Telegrafi
Marigona Shabiu, executive director at YIHR
In Kosovo, women’s participation in politics is often presented as a success story. The 30 percent gender quota, the increase in the number of women in the Assembly, and their presence in municipal assemblies are regularly cited as evidence of democratic progress. In the last legislature, women made up over a third of the members of the Assembly, a figure that on paper positions Kosovo better than many countries in the region. However, beyond the statistics and official statements, the political reality remains much more complex, especially when this participation is viewed from the perspective of youth and other marginalized groups.
From our many years of experience at Youth Initiative for Human Rights - Kosovo (YIHR KS), it is clear that women’s political representation does not automatically translate into a policy that speaks for and with young people. Young women and men in Kosovo continue to perceive politics as a closed, hierarchical and often hostile space to critical thinking. This sense of distance is particularly pronounced among young people from non-majority communities, LGBTIQ+ young people, people with disabilities and those living in poverty or marginalized areas. For many young people, women’s representation in institutions is not necessarily seen as representing their interests, especially when policies continue to be produced without an inclusive approach.
In the discussions we have with young people in cities and rural areas, a silent question often arises: are women in politics truly allies of youth, or simply part of the same system that reproduces exclusion? This dilemma is not an accusation, but a critical reflection on the way our political culture works and on the limits of a representation that remains largely formal.
Full article here.
Marigona Shabiu, executive director at YIHR
In Kosovo, women’s participation in politics is often presented as a success story. The 30 percent gender quota, the increase in the number of women in the Assembly, and their presence in municipal assemblies are regularly cited as evidence of democratic progress. In the last legislature, women made up over a third of the members of the Assembly, a figure that on paper positions Kosovo better than many countries in the region. However, beyond the statistics and official statements, the political reality remains much more complex, especially when this participation is viewed from the perspective of youth and other marginalized groups.
From our many years of experience at Youth Initiative for Human Rights - Kosovo (YIHR KS), it is clear that women’s political representation does not automatically translate into a policy that speaks for and with young people. Young women and men in Kosovo continue to perceive politics as a closed, hierarchical and often hostile space to critical thinking. This sense of distance is particularly pronounced among young people from non-majority communities, LGBTIQ+ young people, people with disabilities and those living in poverty or marginalized areas. For many young people, women’s representation in institutions is not necessarily seen as representing their interests, especially when policies continue to be produced without an inclusive approach.
In the discussions we have with young people in cities and rural areas, a silent question often arises: are women in politics truly allies of youth, or simply part of the same system that reproduces exclusion? This dilemma is not an accusation, but a critical reflection on the way our political culture works and on the limits of a representation that remains largely formal.
Full article here.