By Staff Reporter
Youth leadership and advocacy organisation, We Lead Trust will soon be launching the ‘What Youth Want” project following a research validation workshop held in Harare yesterday.
The initiative, aimed at understanding the needs and aspirations of young people in Zimbabwe, has uncovered crucial findings that shed light on the challenges faced by the nation’s youth.
In an interview, Karen Manzera, the Communication and Advocacy Officer of We Lead Trust, shared insights into the “What Youth Want” project.
“As part of the What Youth Want project, the We Lead Trust has been conducting research to find out about what young people in Zimbabwe want. We now have the draft report and have been engaging with stakeholders to validate its contents. This process has been instrumental in ensuring the accuracy of our findings and identifying any gaps in our data capturing process,” said Manzera.
The co-research consultant, Phillip Fungurai, who played a key role in the baseline research process, underscored the systemic youth marginalization present across various sectors in Zimbabwe.
“After extensive and intensive consultations with youth across the ten provinces of Zimbabwe, the baseline revealed that there is systematic and deeply entrenched youth marginalization in politics, governance, decision-making, civic processes, development, and private corporations. This systemic marginalization affects all youth, especially young women, youth with disabilities, and other vulnerable social groups. Despite the fact that youth constitute over 67% of Zimbabwe’s population, they remain the most marginalized,” said Fungurai.
The findings highlight a concerning gap between the demographic dividend represented by the youth population and the undercapitalization of their potential in contributing to the nation’s progress.
The research suggests that youth are not adequately represented or involved in key decision-making processes that directly impact their lives and the future of Zimbabwe.
The validation workshop, a crucial step in ensuring the accuracy and relevance of the report, saw the participation of youths, including the Zimbabwe Youth Council and the Ministry of Youth.
