By Akanimo Sampson
Djibouti has exceeded the global average of 28 per cent on the infusion of young members of parliament into the National Assembly. 2018 elections in the country brought an infusion of young legislators into the National Assembly with 32 per cent of the new House under 45 years of age.
To help the young parliamentarians, as well as encourage more young people to enter politics, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) last January organised a two-day workshop in partnership with the National Assembly.
The workshop was designed to develop the leadership and communications skills of the young national lawmakers in Djibouti as well as helping them integrate youth perspectives in their parliamentary work.
Parliamentarians were able to identify and prioritise issues affecting youth in their constituencies and the tools and strategies to mobilise political support to influence change.
The workshop also set out the next steps to empower youth including more training for young legislators and creating a network for young members of parliament to work together across party lines on issues important to youth.
The meeting was opened by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mohamed Ali Houmed, and a special session was also held with IPU President, Gabriela Cuevas.
Djibouti became a member of the IPU in 1981. Since 2017, the IPU has been working closely with the Parliament, in partnership with the European Commission, to develop its capacity as well as its legislative, representative and oversight functions.
