Disclaimer: This blog highlights data from: Analytical Study: Youth Faced Violence and Executive Summary of the National Youth Survey 2018-2019 conducted by the National Youth Observatory (Tunisian Ministry of Youth and Sports).

Most Arab societies are young as most of their populations are under age 25. For example, young people represent 20% of the population in Egypt and Syria, 15% in Bahrain and Lebanon, 21% in Algeria, 22% in Jordan, and 28% in Tunisia. Meanwhile in Western countries, the percentage of young people does not exceed 13% of the total population. This is based on the United Nations General Assembly classification of youth as being between 15 and 24 years old.

But if we adopt the age of 29 years as a definition of youth as do most Arab studies and research, then the percentage of youth in Tunisia exceeds 30% of the total population. This demographic force (youth) represents an effective and influential societal energy. For this reason, all actors in decision-making positions and national and international organizations are deliberately intensifying their work to empower youth and motivate them for further active participation. There is also consensus that apathy and weak participation among youth, and their absence in decision-making positions and processes, can lead to the emergence of behaviours and phenomena dangerous to society, such as the spread of violence, crime, addiction and other risky behaviours.

The increased rates of civic participation among young people in Tunisia was one of the most important outcomes of the 2010-2011 revolution, along with the rapid boom in the number of civil society organizations, which exponentially increased from 221 associations to 2091 associations between 2010-2011. This increased youth civic participation continued with the creation of roughly 1,600 new civil society organizations annually until it reached 23,456 in June 2020.  This shift in civic participation came with enthusiasm and extensive preparation among young people and received significant support from government agencies, organizations and many international actors. Most of the influential associations that contributed to Tunisia’s political transition were driven and led mainly by youth vanguards, including "I Watch", "Doustorna/Our Constitution", " Al Bousalah/The Compass", " Hkomatona/Our Government" and others.

Unfortunately, this status and the importance of youth driven civil society organizations has declined since. Data and surveys illustrate a drop in Tunisian youth's civic participation. The National Youth Survey was carried out by the National Youth Observatory (housed in the Tunisian Ministry of Youth and Sports), which worked on 10,000 voluntary and controlled samples. According to the most recent survey data, only 6.4% of Tunisian youth are active in associations and civil society organizations (CSOs), and 2.6% are politically active. As for the most significant obstacles that prevent broader participation of youth in institutional work, according to survey respondents, 31% stated that Tunisian youth hold a negative opinion about CSOs citing an absence of participation and democracy within established associations (many are controlled by older generations), and/or are concerns that many CSOs are politicized.

Tunisian youth participation in elections between 2011 and 2019 also remained low. Despite high hopes, less than 5% of youth between 18-25 voted in the 2018 municipal elections, and only 11.6% of the same age demographic voted in the second round of presidential elections. 

However, compared to other countries in the Arab region, Tunisia's legislation and laws allow for greater youth civic participation. For example, Chapter 9 of the Tunisian Constitution stipulates that presidential candidates can be at least 35 years old and parliamentary and municipal election laws require the inclusion of male and female candidates under 35 years of age. But only 15.66% of elected deputies in 2011 were under age 35. This percentage further decreased in the legislative elections of 2014 to only 12.9%.  By contrast, the participation rate for the age group 26-45 years in the legislative elections reached 33% of the total number of voters, and this percentage turned 50.6% in the presidential elections in the second round.

Analyzing this data leads us to two thoughts:

First: Desire for New Candidates

The weak participation in voting and low number of youth candidates running for parliamentary and presidential elections in the various sessions – other than in the second round of the 2019 presidential elections – indicate that the younger generation is looking for a candidate from outside the "system" or the current political scene. Some young people initially expressed this and boycotted the elections in response.  

Second: Redefining Interests

The older generations expressed their belonging and interest in participation at the national level while Tunisia’s youth feel a greater connection to their "Houma" (neighbourhood) and village which is evident by the proportion of participation in electoral events between 2011 and 2019 where a high number of young candidates ran for local council seats (estimated at 52.1% of all candidates). Youth representation on these councils at 33% of the number of municipal deputies prompts us to reconsider the concept of affiliation and interests in varying levels of civic engagement among young people.

Conclusion

This data highlights young people's low level of civic engagement, posing challenges to actors to support and promote youth participation. Moreover, it's forcing the political system to move away from the old forms and techniques that aimed to include youth, as titles and symbols from the past no longer attract or move youth political participation. Instead, it's driving those interested in advancing youth participation to adopt new approaches linked to the new participation requirements. Governments and key stakeholders must work with the young generations, and steer away from the patriarchal and authoritarian practices used in the past. The focus should be on empowering young people by enhancing their social and economic position to facilitate their integration into political participation. Until there is a fundamental change in the mindset of the generations dominating the public sphere and an actual will to move toward an open, participatory mindset, we must not assume that young people do not want to engage, but rather the reasons for their reluctance. Lastly, we need to recognize the reality that if we do not promote greater education on civic activism and participation, then there is no space to open pathways for youth participation.

Bio: Wissem Sghaier, is a youth, and media activist from Tunisia, Wissem is a researcher and executive at the National Youth Observatory (Ministry of Youth and Sports - Tunisia). Wissem was a political prisoner during the Tunisian revolution in the year 2010-2011.