Mozambique: IMD wants more youth participation in decision-making

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique: IMD wants more youth participation in decision-making

10:08 CAT | 18 Aug 2022

Photo: IMD

The Institute for Multi-Party Democracy (IMD), through its Women’s Political Academy, wants youth and women’s branches of the Mozambican political parties with seats in parliament to create synergies that enable their greater representation in political bodies and democratically elected institutions.

The measure aims to create space for these organizations to be able to influence the development of a national agenda in favor of youth and women.

The position was expressed by IMD Project Manager, Elisa Muianga, in Maputo, during the “Intergenerational Political Café” between the female and youth branches of the political parties.

“Despite being a significant part of the population, young people have not been proportionally represented in decision-making bodies, which means that their interests are not considered. The situation is even more serious when it comes to the representation of youth in democratically elected institutions”, she said.

“Data from the last general population census (2017) indicate that about 79% of the Mozambican population is below the age of 35”, added Muianga. “But youth representation is not only disproportionately low, it is also on a downward trend, which calls into question inclusive and participatory democracy”.

Among the problems that are symptomatic in the youth stratum are the high rate of unemployment, housing issues, the failure of employers to hire young graduates, drug and alcohol consumption, as well as the scourges of HIV and AIDS, she said.

“It is pertinent to jointly reflect on the paths that young people, in political parties, can take and what synergies can be made in order to improve their quantitative and qualitative representativeness in elected democratic institutions”, continued Muianga.

The inter-generational political café between female and youth branches of political parties was organized, a few days ago, by the IMD, in coordination with the National Youth Council (CNJ), as part of the commemoration of Youth Week.

Source: AIM