Empowering YOUth taking the Lead towards active
▶Summary
Background Young people need flourishing civil society and civic space to realise and fully utilize their political rights. However, the last few years have brought a persistent silencing of the voice of youth and limiting their civic space. Young people often have fewer opportunities to participate and are underrepresented in decision-making (Council of the European Union, 2021). This trend was even strengthened in the last year due to the COVID-19 and consequently adopted responses leading to restricted freedoms and access to fundamental rights. Furthermore, civil society has been omitted from the design and implementation of governments’ COVID-19 strategies which might result in doubts about the role of civic engagement in politics. In all OECD countries, young people aged 15-24 have the lowest share of voter turnout: 68% on average, proving that the need for youth engagement in civic life is pressing (Comparative Study of Electoral Systems, 2020). Civil society