To mark the two-year anniversary of the I Say Yes to Youth in Parliament! campaign, the IPU organized an online event called Shout Out to Youth Changemakers on 24 May 2023. The gathering served as a platform for taking stock of progress in implementing transformative actions, sharing success stories, and galvanizing further action to rejuvenate parliaments.
The event brought together a diverse group of “changemakers”, including parliamentarians, leaders of international organizations, civil society leaders and youth activists. These individuals have all committed to the campaign, contributing to its widespread influence. High-level partners who participated included the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, the Executive Director of the Kofi Annan Foundation, the Executive Director of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, and the Executive Director of YIAGA Africa.
Participants recounted their experiences and achievements in implementing the campaign over the last two years. Successes included legislative changes to establish youth quotas (Pledge 1) and lower the age of eligibility to run for office (Pledge 2); the creation of new youth caucuses (Pledge 3); empowerment training for young parliamentarians (Pledge 4); engaging parliaments with young political aspirants (Pledge 5); and boosting youth participation through the campaign (Pledge 6).
The event laid a roadmap for the campaign’s future. Changemakers called for redoubled efforts to remove barriers, including financial ones, to youth participation and reflected on new campaign tools that could further drive the youth empowerment movement. They also highlighted intersectionality, political parties and civic education for young people as important topics to be taken into account in the future of the campaign.
The I Say Yes to Youth in Parliament! campaign revolves around six pledges identified by young MPs themselves as the most effective ways to enhance youth participation. Its objective is to help parliaments reach the set of targets identified by the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians for youth representation in parliaments by 2035, in line with the age groups of the global population. The targets call for:
- 15% of parliamentarians to be under the age of 30;
- 35% of parliamentarians under 40; and
- 45% of parliamentarians under 45.
Each target also requires 50-50 gender parity.
Since the campaign’s inception, over 1400 “changemakers” have committed to its cause, including 660 MPs from over 130 countries, nearly 60 Speakers of Parliament, and 14 high-level Heads of State or organizations. Over 30 significant parliamentary initiatives have also been implemented since the campaign was established.
