CPC calls for introduction of youth quotas in parliament

The parliamentarians within the Commonwealth have recommended introduction of youth quotas in the parliaments to ensure their participation in policymaking on national level. They also said while the young generation dominated the society and even the economy at present, their participation in politics or policymaking was not satisfactory. The recommendations were made on Monday at a workshop at the 63rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) in Dhaka. Shahrima Tanjin Arni, a graduate-level student of Dhaka University who participated at the workshop as a youth representative, said the process of introduction in politics in Bangladesh is yet to be at the satisfactory level. We suggested that the government should have a policy showing how the youth could get involved in politics.” However, Bangladeshi MP Sabina Akter Tuhin added: “The ruling Awami League government has encouraged the youth to participate in politics. Currently, 40.2% MPs in Bangladesh parliament are below 40 years of age and 26% are below 45.” Another lawmaker, Kazi Nabil Ahmed, who was one of the discussion leaders at the session, said: “The world belongs to the youth. We want our youth in parliament because it’s the reflection of the country. Their participation in policymaking is important.” After the discussion, the parliamentarians also recommended that youth should have quotas at party-level while choosing candidates for public representatives. They must be mentored through internships and apprenticeship in statutory bodies too. Parliaments must ensure that youth parliamentarians are given a voice in the national, regional and international parliamentary representative bodies, they said. They said parliaments and parliamentarians across the world should ceaselessly endeavour to ensure mainstreaming of the youth in governance and nation-building to equip and empower them to shape the destinies of democracies. Australian politician Kezia Purick, a Member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, moderated the workshop titled “Giving Voice to the Youth: Mechanism for Ensuring Effective Participation of Youth in the Governance Process” on Monday.

Women’s participation in politics

At another workshop on gender equality on Monday, Commonwealth delegates said all countries should allow women parliamentarians to serve as role models and need to use data driven strategies to increase women’s political participation. They also called for providing equal opportunity and help to create conducive environment for women to enter politics to promote gender equality.