Five key concepts are presented and
discussed below as a framework for the topic area.
Youth
For statistical purposes, the United
Nations General Assembly defines youth as between the ages of 15-24, without
prejudice to other definitions by member states.[i] However, since in many countries people
below the age of 35 who are active in politics are considered young, this topic
area uses a more flexible definition of youth — people between the ages of 15
and 35.
Electoral Cycle
This topic area is grounded in the
electoral cycle approach – one that emphasizes the importance of
long-term activities aimed at developing capacities for inclusive political
participation. It covers the pre-electoral, electoral, and
post-electoral periods. As such, the
topic area provides strategies and good practices for youth and EMBs to
create an enabling environment for participation, to empower young men and
women to raise their voices, to engage in electoral operations, and to become
active change agents for peaceful elections.
See Annex: Electoral Cycle and
Youth. See also Annex: Tips for Engaging with Youth Throughout the
Electoral Cycle.
Gender-sensitive
This topic area takes into
consideration the diversity of various groups of women and men as well as their
specific activities and challenges. Young women in many societies face “double
discrimination” (based on both their age and gender) throughout the electoral
cycle. Therefore, this topic area stresses the importance of developing
and implementing targeted strategies and activities to enable and empower young
women to participate.
Intersectionality
Young people face numerous barriers
to participating in development and political processes that affect their
lives. Intersectionality acknowledges the interplay of these barriers. Because
systems of discrimination and disadvantage based on social categorizations such
as age, ethnicity, class and gender intersect, the oppressive effects of these
systemic inequalities are compounded. This topic area recognizes that young
people experience discrimination based on their age and that where their age
intersects with disadvantages and marginalization based on socioeconomic
status, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and ethnic minority identity,
young people bear the burden of multiple inequalities.
Good Practices
This topic area provides various practices and
strategies on how EMBs have fostered youth participation throughout electoral
processes. It is evident that successful strategies in one country might not be
effective or useful in other socio-political contexts. As such, examples
provided should serve only as a source of inspiration for EMBs on how youth can
be empowered throughout the electoral cycle.
