CHALLENGES OF POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT IN AFRICA

Political empowerment in Africa is hindered by many factors such as the economy , education and also hindered by the society and culture. 
  In many countries girls marry and become pregnant at a very young age and end their education out of necessity, in order to take care of a young family. They become succumbed to those families and leave all the serious issues such as politics to their husbands.

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 Poorly educated as they are, they only become interested in trivial issues that do not contribute in their lives such as gossip and scandal. Often, most of them they are unable to work and to empower themselves

economically. 

However, in most cases that have to do with local governance, community leadership women tend to lurk behind. People are still holding on to the patriarchal society whereby a woman's place is in the kitchen.
Looking at young men, they have developed apathy as most of them are jobless and they no longer have an interest in political empowerment because economically they are not. They have now polluted their minds with dealings that at the end of the day gets them into trouble as they would have failed to abide by the laws required or to follow procedure.
The issue of employment is another factor which needs to be taken into serious consideration and also a  part of the challenges to do with political empowerment.

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 This requires not only social and political empowerment, which forms the basis of transformed relations with the state, but also economic empowerment, which enhances people’s abilities to engage. The underlying logic is that greater empowerment also allows for greater accountability.therefore it also needs to start with the leaders taking great initiatives.

But women are not forthcoming as expected. Again you shouldn’t blame them sometimes because of some restricting factors surrounding the environme - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/many-challenges-of-women-empowerment-in-africa-onyedim/#sthash.EXHjlOSI.dpuf

So, if women don’t come out to demand for their right nothing will be given to them. They need to come out and become part of governance in their community, ward, local government, state and country. But women are not forthcoming as expected. Again you shouldn’t blame them sometimes because of some restricting factors surrounding the environment in which they find themselves. For instance, in Africa, women are not all that recognised to hold some key positions in the society; the region will be against you, the society, the family issue is there, culture, environment even women among themselves will be against you. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/many-challenges-of-women-empowerment-in-africa-onyedim/#sthash.EXHjlOSI.dpuf

So, if women don’t come out to demand for their right nothing will be given to them. They need to come out and become part of governance in their community, ward, local government, state and country. But women are not forthcoming as expected. Again you shouldn’t blame them sometimes because of some restricting factors surrounding the environment in which they find themselves. For instance, in Africa, women are not all that recognised to hold some key positions in the society; the region will be against you, the society, the family issue is there, culture, environment even women among themselves will be against you. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/many-challenges-of-women-empowerment-in-africa-onyedim/#sthash.EXHjlOSI.dpuf

GENDER EQUALITY IN POLITICAL EMPOWERMRNT

Both men and women need to be given a fair chance in participating and being hands-on in politics. Often, women are deprived of the opportunity leading to them lacking behind, either because of a patriarchal society or the mentality that a woman's place is in the kitchen. As this may apply in most of our African societies but it also violates women's rights.
 A classic example is that of the Bill which was proposed in Iran which only diminishes women to baby making machines and discriminating them from doing other jobs which are said to be specifically for men.

internationalwomenshealth.org

Women are often deprived of opportunities that will enhance them and also showcase their potential in political issues. We have reached 2015 and looking at Zimbabwe it has not reached the Millennium Development Goal that advocates for gender equality as we see that still there is no equality in the parliament because there are few women as compared to men.

The country faces challenges of limited coordination of the national gender management system, inadequate implementation of the national gender policy, partial domestication of international and regional instruments, low participation of women in politics and decision making positions, limited access productive resources, and gender based violence.

Women’s representation in the Lower and Upper House currently stands at 14 and 33 percent respectively lower than the MDGs and the SADC Gender and Development Protocol benchmarks.

 A program founded by the NGO, the Women's Empowerment Program develops women's leadership, strengthens women's organizations, increases women's rights and ensures their personal security, and creates new political and economic opportunities for women across. It is believed that a promotion of women’s political rights is a basis for democracy strengthening.

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

Involvement in politics is an attempt at creating a common good, while taking an active part in an organization is an absolute must for university students. However, it would be much better if they join a political party which seeks to uphold pluralism in their country.
it is believed that young people have clear thoughts which would be useful for improving people’s lives, therefore laying a good foundation for them that will enable them to have good empowerment towards politics.Also it is for the good of a country.

http://www.proud2bindian.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/indianyouth.jpg

 Looking at India, the Indian youth deliberately needs to be empowered and their own power and potential need to be utilized in an accurate way. Youth need to be given authority, a platform, where they can express themselves fully without fear.

In Nigeria, a bid to empower youths have been fruitless because of  a dislocated past, a corrupt and confused generation, as well as a people with a shattered and an uncertain future. In this tragic failure, 'we have inadvertently empowered our youths with the spirit of corruption'

In a bid to achieve this, there is a need for under privileged youths to be given free education that will empower them, create people with an analytic and critical mind towards serious issues that affect their lives.
Further, also a formation of a youth committee in order to increase active participation and also select people who might belong to different fields and areas of specialization to be part of that board.
An empowerment that will put a country into safe hands

10 ESSENTIALS OF POLITICAL LEADERSHIP YOU NEED TO KNOW.

Infographic Credit: Tafadzwa Mhepoh

1. Engage and represent your people: Leadership means creating a common mission and vision with the people you lead, and representing it relentlessly. Do that, and we all tenaciously rally and do our best.

2. Collaborate and compromise

with colleagues: Leadership means working together -- with give and take -- toward a common goal of a shared good. When instead egos get in the way, people, rather than ideas, take center stage in distorted ways

3. Supervise at an appropriate level of detail: Leadership means finding a healthy balance between being "informed" and "involved." When leaders misjudge their needed level of scrutiny or involvement, they make mistakes of omission that lead to serious consequences.

4. Be decisive in a timely manner: Leadership means having the courage to take timely corrective action on someone or something that's not working. Timely decision-making is intrinsic to good leadership.

5. Be accountable: Leadership means owning inevitable errors and failures, even though fear or stress would tempt you to distance yourself from them. Aside from being good leadership, an error owned and transcended tends to result in great achievements. Our political "leaders" are epically far better at blaming or stepping back from mistakes than they are at owning a failure or misstep.

6. Innovate: Leadership means innovation. True innovation isn't in a method, process, book, or workshop. It's in the mirror of our imagination and courage. Intrinsic to the survival instinct of politicians is avoiding what takes courage to change. The key to change our leadership for the better is to remind our leaders that innovation -- like the privatization of space travel -- is a cool and popular way toward a rewarding shared future.

7. Make a positive impact on people, planet and economy: Leadership means making positive impacts on individuals, communities, natural resources, and on the economic ecosystem. A leader's achievements and legacy are ultimately measured and moderated by their impact.

8. Be honest: Leadership means candor with yourself and others -- both emotionally and intellectually -- and being willing to ask for and hear such honesty from colleagues, clients, and the communities you impact. Great honesty brings the humility needed for great leadership when things are going well, and the necessary fuel for critical change when things are in trouble

9. Delegate effectively: Leadership means delegating the "what," and not the "how," to launch people into effective, independent action. It's honoring them as adults, and coaching and supporting them to find their own ingenuity, even when telling them would be faster.

10. Listen: Leadership means asking and listening, rather than doing the talking the majority of the time. It's trusting the people who know best what's needed are the ones actually living with the results of your leadership. Your job is to quiet the noise of your own preconceptions and ego in order to hear those who know best: the wisdom of the people.

Adapted from the Huffington Post 

TIME TO ACT!!

The strike which seem to be affecting most state universities is also affecting students. The strike seem to have started last week in Great Zimbabwe University and has spread throughout the country with lectures saying that they have not been paid for February salaries.  Most lectures and even non staff members have resolved into staying at home up until they have been paid.

Great Zimbabwe University

Jabulani Denhere, GZU workers union president, said: “Workers have not been paid their February salaries as well as their 2014 end of year bonus.


This is the time the Students Representative Committee (SRC) presidents have to act on behalf of the other students as fees have been paid but still do not get what they have paid for. As young politicians they have to take action in ensuring that students are somehow not affected and dragged into the squabbles.
At the University of Zimbabwe, yesterday students took into the streets and demonstrated against the strike resulting in police officers and riots coming whilst at Midlands State University there are allegations that the students wanted to beat up the Vice Chancellor.
Amidst all this and the students misbehaving the question to ask is then, where are the SRC presidents so that they put the students at ease by informing them about what is on the ground rather than leaving them to speculate.

It may be an issue which involves the government but as Universities there are SRCs that are there to represent the students on their behalf. They need not take the backseat but rather act upon this, be heard and taken into account. Many students have said out their grievances on how the strike is affecting their lectures as examinations have already been scheduled.
One student from National University of Science and Technology in an interview  yesterday said "there is no point in going to class since i know lecturers won't come and we haven't heard anything from the SRC president"

National University of Zimbabwe

Meanwhile, the UZ announced on Tuesday it was closing until March 24, 2015, after students - See more at: http://www.zimeye.com/lecturers-strike-no-more-claims-muchinguri-kashiri/#sthash.TpZ3Ppsa.dpuf

Meanwhile, the UZ announced on Tuesday it was closing until March 24, 2015, after students demonstrated in solidarity with lecturers and non-academic staff.
- See more at: http://www.zimeye.com/lecturers-strike-no-more-claims-muchinguri-kashiri/#sthash.TpZ3Ppsa.dpuf

Meanwhile, the UZ announced on Tuesday it was closing until March 24, 2015, after students demonstrated in solidarity with lecturers and non-academic staff.
- See more at: http://www.zimeye.com/lecturers-strike-no-more-claims-muchinguri-kashiri/#sthash.TpZ3Ppsa.dpuf

Meanwhile, the UZ announced on Tuesday it was closing until March 24, 2015, after students demonstrated in solidarity with lecturers and non-academic staff.
- See more at: http://www.zimeye.com/lecturers-strike-no-more-claims-muchinguri-kashiri/#sthash.TpZ3Ppsa.dpuf

Meanwhile, the UZ announced on Tuesday it was closing until March 24, 2015, after students demonstrated in solidarity with lecturers and non-academic staff.
- See more at: http://www.zimeye.com/lecturers-strike-no-more-claims-muchinguri-kashiri/#sthash.TpZ3Ppsa.dpuf

YOUTHS AND DEMOCRACY

Democracy purely is a government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. it involves respect and equal rights for everyone, but then do youths understand, exercise or rather they abuse the democracy or it is just an ideal thing.
 The young generation are the ones who will shape the future of democratic development in a country
 According to research conducted by the UN’s Development Program and the BBC World Service, youths between 15 and 24 still have a limited knowledge of democratic institutions and electoral participation.

A Cambodian youth suggested that;
"In order to urge youth to be more involved in democratic development, firstly, we have to guarantee the space for youths to communicate, to meet, and to discuss. Secondly, civil society, and especially the government, needs to work to improve the human rights situation, because when the human rights situation is restricted—when one activist gets killed—it sends a very strong message to the public that they have to be silent"

However many governments do not offer a voice to the youths leading them into mobilising themselves and revolting against the existing government like the infamous 'Arab Springs'

Another disheartening factor is that members of older generations expect subservience and offer no respect to youth voices.Not effectively engaging disaffected youth can result in instability in communities.
workshops and programmes should be put in place  to motivate and engage youths. Have parties that advocate for democracy in a certain country. Youths ought to understand what democracy really is and if those in power do not give it to the people a  problem is bound to rise leading to revolution and apathy in terms of voting.
They end up losing the interest to vote because of such issues.