Youth Imbizo calls for an increase in measures to realise gender just societies

The Generation G South African collation and NYP in partnership with the voices of multiple intersectional feminist groups met on the 10^th of August at the Soweto Theatre to have a timely discussion on creating a gender-just and violence-free society that strives to cater to the needs of the youth and bringing into focus how women, people living with disabilities and the LGBTQIA+ community can enhance their capability to seek and advocate for justice.

Some of the issues the youth face outlined were the lack of knowledge regarding the Equality Act, the lack of infrastructure for persons living with disabilities, and gatekeeping of information and opportunities by typically older authoritative figures in governmental and municipal structures.

It lies on all of us to disrupt the status quo as it no longer serves us and to check whether the language, we use is regressive or progressive.

Sylvia Steven-Mziya from the Department of Women, Youth and persons with disabilities said “Young people are not homogenous, we can’t derive one policy and say its applicable to youth from ages 14 to 34 because within that vast grouping are needs and gaps that go unnoticed” which was the crux of the event, how can we advocate and or expect change if we do not take into consideration the different needs of the youth without generalizing and inadvertently marginalizing them.

The lack of inclusivity in the criminal justice system and other issues mentioned above are but some of the stumbling blocks in the procedural steps before justice is served. Generation G is a partnership that works to empower communities with tools, resources and information to advocate for justice and inclusivity.

The next Imbizo will be held on the 23^rd of September 2022 in the Eastern Cape with venue to be confirmed near to the time.

By: Palesa Madi 

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About Generation G:

Generation G is a global programme implemented in seven (7) Countries namely; Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, and the Netherlands.

The partnership strives towards creating gender-just and violence-free communities for and young people in their full diversity. Youth from 15 – 32 are at the heart of this partnership as they are often excluded from meaningful decision-making spaces.

The Generation G South African Coalition comprises three partner organizations namely; ACTIVATE! Change Drivers, Sonke Gender Justice and ActionAid South Africa are responsible for advancing the objective of the Generation G programme in South Africa.