George Sanzila
LUANDA – Member of Parliament Emma Muteka has called for the introduction of a youth quota in parliament to address the challenge of youth under-representation.
Although the number of young MPs in Namibia has increased steadily, it is still negligible. Concerted efforts are, thus, still needed to improve youth participation, she stated.
Muteka expressed these sentiments during the recently-concluded 147th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) General Assembly, which took place in Luanda, Angola.
The MP, who is also a member of the IPU Forum for Young Parliamentarians, said there is a need for parliaments to introduce youth quotas, including the Namibian parliament, so that more young people can actively participate in the democratic process.
“I dream of a Namibia that can introduce a youth quota so that young people can get a chance to represent themselves. It’s always good to hear from the horse’s mouth. Who is better placed to advocate for youth matters than the youth themselves?,” Muteka asked rhetorically on the sidelines of the meeting.
When launching the 2023 IPU Report on Youth Participation to the governing council of the IPU, she highlighted some of the concerns regarding the low numbers of young people in parliament.
This is despite young people under the age of 30 making up half of the world’s population, but paradoxically represented by only 3% of MPs globally.
“The levels of youth participation in national parliaments are too low. A mere 2.8% of MPs are under 30; 39% of parliaments have zero MPs under 30. Only 18% of parliaments have caucuses of young MPs. We talk about achieving SDG 16, but how can we, when youth are still sidelined?,” queried Muteka.
Youth representation in Namibia currently stands at over 8%, with young MPs under the age of 30 constituting a mere 3.96% of that figure, according to statistics provided by the IPU.
The rest of the young MPs are under the age of 45. The figures further revealed that young people under the age of 30 in parliaments around the world only make up an insignificant 3%, with Nordic countries, such as Norway, Sweden and Finland, leading other countries in electing younger MPs.
Speaker of the National Assembly Peter Katjavivi has reiterated that Namibia has been making steady progress despite the low figure.
As part of efforts to encourage young people to enter politics, Parliament has initiated the Children’s Parliament as a platform to give young people a voice to discuss issues, which are pertinent to their welfare.
The IPU Forum for Young Parliamentarians has also initiated discussions to establish a target for youth participation in parliament, and other parliaments have already started adopting a youth quota system and caucuses intended to discuss youth issues.
*George Sanzila works for the National Assembly in the Division: Research, Information, Publications and Editorial Services.