I remember
the first time I voted, I woke up as early as 5am and I was the first in line
at the voting centre. I had never felt so much power in my hands to direct and
influence the future of my country simply by ticking in a box. I feel voting is
the most usual way that many Malawians feel they have direct power to influence
change and get their voice to be heard once in 5 years. The same excitement
that I felt four years and six months ago is what is building up inside me as I
wait for that power and adrenaline rush when I cast my vote on 20th
May, 2014.
As the day draws
closer I ask how I can meaningfully participate in these elections. How do I participate in pre and post election
activities and even beyond elections? From previous experience as the case is
in many African countries when you think youth political participation one word
comes to mind : violence. Somehow that
is the most common way young people participate in elections. These young
people are manipulated and coaxed in with fast cash and made to believe that is
the only way they can participate.
I had the
pleasure of attending a meeting this past month where nonprofit youth
organizations and youth activists are
coming up with a youth charter for the 2014 aspirants, the charter will clearly
stipulate the needs of the young people in Malawi and what we want to be done
once the candidates are voted into
office. The charter will also demand for a social contract from the aspirants
so that they are held accountable to the commitments made for the time they are
in office. This is a very good initiative and a great way for young people to
participate in elections as opposed to going in the streets to riot and
vandalize people’s property. Malawi being a youthful nation with 65 percent of
the country’s population being young people and the majority living in the
rural areas, the youth have the power to turn the tables and topple the vote in
their favor.
My first concern
is: How do we buy in the support and morale of the young people in the rural
areas where majority are struck by poverty and are unemployed. For any person
to buy into a cause, whether bad or good there has to be some personal gain
they get from it. So it is not as simple as one would think that these young
people will buy into the charter, and shun the fast cash for a mere document. What
will make these young people leave the streets and think of political
participation as discussions with the relevant stakeholders so as to push the
youth agenda forward? I have the privilege to know that there are many ways to
participate in politics without actually going to the street, but that
information is not common knowledge for young people especially those living in
the rural areas with high illiteracy levels.
My second
concern is: the participation of young
women in the development and implementation of the youth charter. If this is a
national document it is important for issues of young women to be clearly
stipulated in the charter by young women’s voices and lived experiences. Not
young women being spoken for by the opposite sex, older women or young men but
young women themselves speak for themselves. I feel most of the issues being advocated for
on behalf of young women are not really the issues on the ground. For example, no
one is asking the question why we have all these girls and young women getting
pregnant as early as 12, everyone is assuming the usual causes of poverty, lack
of parental and harmful cultural practices (the famous and most abused factor
for everything!). No one really asks though why and how those harmful cultural
practices are still in place after all these interventions? And why are young
women greatly impacted by all the developmental issues compared to their
counterparts? Just how much power and influence do these young women have over
their own lives? The very simple duty of participating for a young woman in
Malawi is highly controlled by other people in their lives such as their
husbands, parents, guardians, older siblings and even the extended family
members.
What is
required is to bring more youths especially young women on the table both from
rural and urban areas, get their input into the charter. The magic word is
CONSULTATIONS!!! Make sure young women understand
the role the play, the power and responsibility they have not only as the
majority of the Malawi population but also to change the direction and future
of Malawi not only for their benefit but for the next generation too.
I AM EXCITED
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
