Alla impact stories
Young and marginalised people take their place in South African politics
With support from the Palme Center’s partner organisation ETU, young people and marginalised groups are gaining greater inclusion in Southern African politics. As a result, political parties are expanding their recruitment efforts, opening up more leadership opportunities to a broader range of voices.Through targeted training programmes such as youth academies and party-affiliated workshops, the Palme Center’s partner organisation ETU has helped political parties in Southern Africa to include young and marginalised groups more fully in their leadership positions.
Greater political inclusion
The results are clear: participants from the programmes have gone on to take up roles as local politicians, party officials and, in some cases, national leadership positions.
In South Africa, ETU contributed to policy processes within the ANC that resulted in decision making on greater inclusion, with LGBTQI people also being given a greater role in political leadership.
In Namibia, young people from the programme have taken up leadership roles and participated in key party processes at national level.
Overall, the parties have broadened their recruitment and are increasingly including new groups in political decision-making.
