INTERGENERATIONAL DIALOGUE CALLS FOR GREATER YOUTH REPRESENTATION IN LEADERSHIP

Article By: Phenyo Babusi

Botswana has been urged to address generational and gender-based barriers limiting young people’s participation in leadership and decision-making, amid concerns that the country’s youthful population remains underrepresented in political institutions.

The call was made during a two-day Intergenerational Dialogue on Advancing Youth Participation and Representation in Leadership and Decision-Making in Botswana, organised by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) in Gaborone.

The dialogue seeks to bridge generational divides, challenge discriminatory social norms and strengthen opportunities for young people, particularly young women, to exercise meaningful political influence.

According to International IDEA, more than two-thirds of Botswana’s population is below the age of 35, yet young people remain poorly represented in Parliament. Following the 2024 general elections, only 1.5 percent of Members of Parliament were below 30, while women occupied 8.7 percent of parliamentary seats.

International IDEA Principal Adviser for Democracy and Inclusion, Rumbidzai Kandawasvika-Nhundu, also raised concerns about violence against women in politics, particularly the growing role of digital platforms in amplifying harassment, intimidation and gender-based discrimination.

She said attacks targeting women’s appearance, personal lives and credibility are often intended to silence them and reinforce perceptions that political leadership is inherently masculine.

Kandawasvika-Nhundu called for a shift in how politics is understood, arguing that it should not be treated as a dirty game but as a responsibility centred on leadership, service and improving people’s lives.

Meanwhile, Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs Lesego Chombo emphasised the importance of succession planning, warning that failure to prepare young people for leadership could leave institutions facing a leadership gap as senior officials retire.

She called for young people and women to receive access to information, resources and opportunities to develop leadership experience.

The dialogue, held under the European Union-funded Women and Youth Democratic Engagement initiative, seeks to translate intergenerational discussions into practical commitments towards inclusive political participation and representation.