Inclusion

Bank Negara Malaysia’s Economic and Monetary Review for 2022 projected that Malaysia’s economy is set to grow between 4% and 5% in 2023 with the support of domestic firms, despite the slowing global growth and thus external demand. Recovery across firms and sectors from the reopening of international borders was reported by the World Bank’s Business Pulse Survey (BPS) in August 2022. However, this recovery remains unequal as the poor and vulnerable are still affected by the lingering effects of the pandemic and are unable to recover adequate financial resources to meet their basic needs.

The analysis 'Delayed youth participation – Local elections 2021' looks at the youth representation in the local elections in North Macedonia, held in 2021. The analysis shows how young people are represented and positioned in the voting lists, as well as how often are young people proposed as candidates for the key positions in the elections. Together with women and people with disabilities, young people are one of the most marginalised groups, in terms of political participation.

Only 1 out of 10 faculties in North Macedonia provides literature in accessible format to students with disabilities. Lecture rooms and libraries have limited physical accessibility, and on 55% of faculties there is no elevator, even though the buildings have several floors. More than half of faculties do not have, or do not keep data, on whether there are students with disabilities enrolled. These are some of the barriers that young persons with disabilities in North Macedonia face to equal education as their peers.

Political parties are the building blocks of any elective democracy in that they define the pathways for mobilising and canvassing for votes as well as serve as focal points for engaging on governance. As pivotal as the place of political parties in a democracy are, Nigeria's experience with party organising has been one of mixed results, with particular concerns about the exclusion of women, young people, and persons with disabilities.