Young Africans 14-35 - Experiences With Decision-Making

We keep saying that young people are the future of Africa. But here's something that made me stop. In a 2021 U-Report poll conducted by UNICEF, the African Union and the European Union, 91% of young people surveyed said they wanted more say in the political decisions shaping their lives. At the same time, 48% said they felt completely left out of political decision-making. And when asked about the main obstacle, 59% pointed to a lack of access to policymakers. These weren't a few hundred responses. 450,000 young people between the ages of 14 and 35 participated in the polls across Africa and Europe. (UNICEF) Those numbers are from 2021. They don't tell us exactly what young people feel today. But they do give us something important to think about. Because Africa has not been silent about youth participation. The African Youth Charter, adopted in 2006, says that every young person has the right to participate in all spheres of society. Its Article 11 calls on States Parties to create and strengthen platforms for youth participation in decision-making at local, national, regional and continental levels. (African Union) And now, in 2026, we are marking 20 years of that Charter. So I keep coming back to one question: If young people want to participate, and Africa has already committed to creating spaces for that participation, where exactly is the disconnect? Is it access? Is it representation? Is it trust? Are young people being invited only after the important decisions have already been made? Or are we creating spaces where their ideas can actually change something? I don't have all the answers. That's precisely why I'm asking. Over the coming weeks, I want to speak with young people and institutions about what meaningful participation actually looks like, and where we still have work to do. Because being invited to the room is not necessarily the same thing as having a voice in the decision. And having a voice is not necessarily the same thing as having influence. What has been your experience? Have you ever participated in a decision-making process where your contribution genuinely changed the outcome? I'd like to hear from you. #YouthParticipation #africanyouth #YouthLeadership #Governance #africa #ayc20 AU-EU Youth Voices Lab - Power of the Collective ComDev Africa African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM)