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Tapuwa Loreen Mutseyekwa Correspondent
MANY young people have made exceptional contributions in their families and societies – some even with their names and stories well inscribed in the echelons of history.
The name of Nkosi Johnson from South Africa continues to incite Aids-awareness campaigns worldwide, while the fiery energy of Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai is a powerful global advocacy tool for girl child education.
Yet other young voices remain unheard or unappreciated in critical social and economic discourses.

In a country like Zimbabwe, where young people make up the majority of the population, a society that accepts the conventionality of “children must be seen and not heard” serves to marginalise and stifle the potential that young people have to further contribute to their communities.

Current global and national challenges impact on young people the hardest and it is important to increase opportunities to marshal their expertise and compassion to address the problems they are daily exposed to.

Current statistics show that only 20 percent of the nearly 300 000 students who sit for the “O” Level exam may proceed to the next academic level while the 80 percent who fail are absorbed in the highly competitive labour market.

Data from the 2012 National Census and other research sources show that sexual abuse, early marriages and deprivations faced by orphaned children are rights violations daily confronting children throughout Zimbabwe.

Through participation in social and economic spheres; decision-making and involvement in public spheres, young people can be empowered to challenge these deprivations and abuses and learn to seek redress.

In addition to their intellectual contribution, young people bring unique perspectives informed by their direct awareness of what is happening to them.

Given the opportunity to speak up, young people become the authors of their own stories and a representation of hope to issues of importance to them.

One of the images of children’s participation was illustrated by Dr Roger Hart through the Ladder of Participation.
According to Hart, the optimum stage of children’s participation is when children are able to identify their own problems, initiate the response and involve adults in implementing a reaction.

This meaningful level of participation requires a larger policy context and a radical shift of cultural attitude for young people to be listened to and taken seriously at domestic, community and national levels.

Unless there is a major paradigm shift in how young people’s voices are viewed, these young voices will remain a far cry in the wilderness.

At the recent Junior Parliamentarian debates, the 320 junior parliamentarians representing all the country’s constituencies dispelled the widely held belief that children lack the competence or expertise to articulate and challenge rights violations in their lives.

The parliamentary debate also presented young people with a chance to experience democratic principles, such as tolerance, healthy disagreement, self-expression, and cooperation

The junior MPs speaking before an audience which included President Mugabe brought to national attention some vivid representations on the state of Zimbabwe’s education.

At the end of the three-hour debate, it was clear that achievement of quality basic education was being hampered by household poverty, sexual abuse at school, long distances between schools and home, drunken teachers and high teacher turnover among many other issues.
More work is also needed to strengthen young people’s participation in structures at provincial and district levels. Of particular need is providing those who are disconnected or socially and economically excluded with opportunities to participate. This includes getting children living with disabilities, those living with HIV and/or others from culturally rigid societies to also participate and be heard.

The author is the Youth and Adolescent Development Specialist at UNICEF Zimbabwe. For comments and contributions email: [email protected]