Youth: A driving force for national leadership

Globally, young people are important enablers of socio-economic development, directly referenced in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 and the leave no one behind principles as catalysts for empowerment, participation and well-being. Across the political, economicand social spheres in Zimbabwe, youth and young women have limited influence in national development due to the predominance of several factors, including socio-economic barriers, gender inequality and age biases. The Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust ( YETT) conducted a mapping study in 2020 to review the state of youth representation and participation in Zimbabwe's socio-economic and political environment. The study titled Youth Lead

ership Mapping in Zimbabwe adopted a qualitative approach comprising a desktop review, focus group discussions and key informant interviews across Zimbabwe's 10 provinces Study overview and objectives

The main objectives of the mapping study were to:

lExplore levels of youth representation in key political, economic, governance and decision-making structures.

lIdentify opportunities, gaps and challenges for youth involvement and influence into key political and economic decision-making structures.

lRecommend pragmatic strategies for enhancing youth participation and representation in these structures.

The study reviewed key areas as follows:

lAvailable spaces for youth representation and participation

lInfluence of youth in key political, local and national leadership, economic governance, policy making, decisionmaking and civil society structures

lBarriers, challenges and opportunities for increasing youth representation and participation in political, economic and policy-making structures

lEffective ways to increase youth influence in informal political and economic spaces. Key findings

lA wide range of space exists for youth representation and participation, but youth are largely under-represented due to “toxic masculinity, cultural and societal norms, as well as violence”.

lYouth, especially young women, are excluded and marginalised from leadership roles, decision-making positions, governance structures and civil society.

lCommunity establishments are heavily divided and polarised on political lines, negatively impacting on youth capacity to access civic spaces, hence their limited participation in the public sphere. Youth participation in livelihoods and economic governance

Youth participation and representation in economic spaces is largely governed by the macro-economic governance framework adopted by the executive. Spaces for participation in the economy are two-pronged — Participation in “formal” economic spaces and Participation in “informal” economic spaces. Youth participation and representation in key political spaces

Generally, the political establishment views youth sceptically, therefore, barring participation in political structures.

lYouth remain on the periphery of Zimbabwean politics due to socio-economic barriers, gender and age biases in political party leadership.

lYouth are absent in Cabinet, the highest decision-making arm of the executive. The few youth representatives in the executive are at deputy ministerial level, making them ineligible to attend Cabinet, the resolution body on key national and international issues. The National Assembly (lower House of Parliament) had six youth members in the 2018 election era, representing less than 2% of the House’s 270 Members of Parliament (MP). None of these six MPs assumed portfolio committee chairperson roles or held any position of influence.

lYouth are grossly under-represented in other key political governance institutions such as traditional leadership structures, responsible for administering rural areas, local government councils and in leadership structures of the main political parties, Zanu PF and the MDC Alliance. There is greater representation of youth in urban councils compared to rural councils. which are largely dominated by older men. Female representation is extremely low — of 16 sampled local councils, only two had female representation. Institutional and programmatic polarisation on political lines

marginalizes youths, hampering access to economic and political opportunities.

lYouth participation in civil society leadership is limited; the few available spaces for youth to influence leadership and decision-making in civil society is within youth organisations, usually established and driven by this population group. Youth participation and representation in key political spaces

Youth confront marginalisation based on their age and gender especially where knowledge on central government processes is concerned. Current youth officers and ministry officials have long surpassed the youth age, leading to discordant relationships. Central government programmes are sometimes politicised especially during campaign periods and youth are side-lined in decision making processes; furthermore, they are not considered an important constituency. Ministry officials play an important role in linking youth with civil society organisation (CSO) programming, and some abuse their power to block youth training and linkages with CSOs. Youth civic engagement

CSOs offer youth support but lack strategies to ensure programme sustainability once the project cycle ends. Youth participation is limited in civic processes outside voting as youths tend to be characterised as “voters, but not yet citizens”. Civil society participation fails to motivate youth participation without incentives such as lunch and bus fare. Policy framework & implementation

lExisting legislation such as The Zimbabwe Youth Council Act do not adequately factor in youth participation and representation. Where legislation and policies exist, that is the Zimbabwe Youth Council, implementation lacks owing to poor youth influence in decision making and contradictions in policies. Furthermore, the lack of cooperation and limited coordination between government departments when designing and implementing youth development programmes has led to fragmented implementation of youth policies.

lStatutory Instrument 14/2013 (Zimbabwe Youth Council (Generals Regulations, 2013) prohibits youth organisations from receiving any foreign funding, yet a Parliamentary Legal Commit

tee already noted that the instrument contains provisions that are ultra-vires the enabling Act, the Zimbabwe Youth Council Act 63. Youth in the Diaspora

lA large percentage of youth reside in the diaspora due to Zimbabwe's constraining economic environment, coupled by lack of opportunities for their personal development and upward social mobility. Diaspora youth are proactive in various roles for the country through fundraising and supporting the

“remittances economy”. Several Zimbabwean youth in the diaspora are occupying influential positions in their countries of residence and work, creating opportunities for Zimbabwe to benefit from its export talent through innovative diaspora reach out programmes.