Youth Coordinator at OXFAM Ghana Wumbia Dokrugu has called for the inclusion of young people in all aspects of decision making to ensure inclusive decisions and comprehensive development across Africa.
He revealed that, available statistics points to the fact that Africa has a youthful population and the youth therefore must be included in decision making to enable policy makers tap into their expertise and knowledge.
“Africa has a youthful population and as a developing country, if you are developing your nation and leaving the huge chunk of the population out then your development will not actually take you to where you want to get to”.
“Young people actually have some expertise that they can bring on board to fast track our development process but most often than not you look at our culture, the mentality and mindset of policy makers thinking they need to take decisions for youth rather than taking decisions with the youth”.
Speaking to Diamond news on the sidelines of a research findings validation workshop on the situation of gender sensitive youth access to education, training and representation in youth and education decision making space, Wumbia Dokrugu said youth have been marginalized in decision making and also in access to quality and relevant education.
“The research has shown that it is really true that young people have been marginalized, in-terms of decision making, participation in policy spaces and even access to the right quality and relevant education that they deserve”.
He indicated that many policies are failing to achieve the needed results because the people at the center of these policies were not included in the policy development and said the time has come for policy makers to work with the youth and not work for the youth.
“The tendency for Policy makers to use only their experiences of when they were young people to inform the current youth needs and demands is very high and that is why our policies are failing us because we don’t get the right people to tell us how they feel”.
“We at OXFAM feel that it is time to work with young people and not working for them and we can only work with the youth if we recognize the potentials that they have to get them included in the decision making spaces”.
Oxfam Ghana in partnership with NORSAAC conducted the research to access the level of youth marginalization in decision making and youth constrains to resources and to seek for better alternatives for youth involvement in policy development.
Source: Ken-Zorre A. Edward | www.diamondfmonline.com | Ghana
