Green Forum, a partner of the PYPA Program, together with the Center For Young Leaders in Africa have published the report ‘The Status of Youth Participation in Political Parties in Malawi and Zambia’, which we share below.

For a democracy to be representative, young people must be engaged in formal political processes and have a say in formulating the politics of today and tomorrow. Inclusive political participation is not only a fundamental political and democratic right, it is crucial to building stable and peaceful societies and developing policies that respond to the specific needs of younger generations.

Since 2016, Green Forum and CYLA-Zambia have conducted the Program for Young Politicians in Africa (PYPA) in Malawi and Zambia. The program aims to strengthen the capacity of youth active in political parties with leadership skills and knowledge to enable them to effectively and sustainably contribute to a more democratic, representative, and non-discriminatory political system.

After five years of implementing PYPA, Green Forum and CYLA-Zambia commissioned this study to assess the status of youth participation in political parties in Malawi and Zambia. It was conducted between September and November 2021 by Eugenio Njoloma. Its findings are based on interviews with senior party officials as well as focus group discussions with politically active youth in 10 political parties in Zambia and Malawi.  Below is a summary of the findings.

Download de document in PDF, here.