NDI: Championing Youth Leadership to Advance Democracy – A Foundational Principle ndi.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ndi.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
On December 15, 2022, 11 youth political party members across four African countries came together in Nairobi, Kenya for a final regional dialogue to present their personal projects accomplished through NDI’s Political Party Leadership Institute (PPLI) program. The regional symposium marked the completion of the 2021 cohort and their transition into the program’s Alumni Network.
Today, more than one-third of Africa’s population is aged between 15 and 35. Ordinarily a cheering picture of a promising future for the continent, but evidence shows this demographic advantage remains to be seen in political inclusion, particularly inclusion and visibility of young people in internal political party processes. There is more evidence that young people tend to vote less frequently, stand as candidates less often and remain underrepresented in electoral functions and political party processes in the continent.
“We cannot achieve the goals set out in the Malawi 2063 national agenda if young people are left behind.” These are the words of Precious Mafunga, a fellow of the National Democratic Institute’s (NDI) Next Generation Leaders’ Academy and member of the Quota4Youth initiative. While many in Malawi are frustrated with the slow pace of change regarding the inclusion of young people in politics, Precious and the Next Generation fellows are committed to taking action to change the face of politics in Malawi.
The last two decades have seen competitive political parties grow in number and size in African democratic systems. However, political parties on the continent still face significant challenges in providing inclusive opportunities for women and youth. Despite making up a majority of the population, women and young people in political parties continue to face inclusion barriers, and effective inclusion strategies and opportunities remain largely unimplemented.