Source: Youth, women quota celebrated -Newsday Zimbabwe
YOUTH are celebrating the allocation of 30% quota for them and women in Parliament and local government saying it was long overdue.
Government announced in a post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday that the Electoral Amendment Bill 2022 on the women and youth quota had been approved.
In a statement yesterday, the Community Youth Development Trust (CYDT) said this was in sync with their demands as enshrined in the Constitution.“The decision to approve the Bill is in sync with the basis of CYDT’s petition that called on the government to protect the constitutionally granted right for the youths to be fairly represented at all levels of governance from the district to national level platforms and ensure that youth empowerment comes with a legislative framework,” CYDT said in a statement.
“This development also ensures that youth voices are mainstreamed in all policymaking processes. In recent years, exclusion of young people in policymaking and governance structures has resulted in the development of policies and strategies that have fallen short in meeting youth needs.”
In 2021, CYDT petitioned Parliament protesting lack of youth representation from the district to national level.While the Electoral Amendment Bill 2022 has been approved, observers say a lot, however, still needed to be done to improve youth representation in both local and national governance structures.