CRC@25: When are you old enough to exercise your right to vote?

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

However you feel about the result of the Scottish referendum, it marked an historic moment for young people in the United Kingdom. Although more than 10 countries from Nicaragua to Norway currently give 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote, the referendum gave youth a vote for the first time in a UK political process.

As we approach the 25th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, it’s worth noting that the right to participate in decisions that affect their lives is limited politically for young people across the world. The argument put forward by the ‘Votes at 16’ campaign group centres on the fact that 16 and 17 year olds can legally marry, join the armed forces, pay taxes – all indicating their competency at both contributing to society and taking complex decisions.

The child rights community has long debated and proposed lowering the voting age. Some proponents argue that giving infants a proxy vote through their parents could result in politicians refocusing their campaigns on children, resulting in more child and family friendly policies. The ‘Votes at 16’ campaign argues that 16 and 17 year olds are ready to engage and  participate in the UK democracy having learnt the principles in compulsory citizenship education, and applied them through the involvement of many thousands of young people in school and youth councils, and youth parliaments across the country.

The Scottish referendum showed the passion, enthusiasm and thoughtfulness of young people as they engaged in the increasingly energized referendum campaign. I watched over 8,000 of them packed into an arena for the ‘Big, Big Debate’ – an opportunity for young people to ask questions to a panel of leading politicians who argued the case for and against independence. The questions and comments from the teenagers often upstaged the panel. They raised specific issues that concerned them, particularly higher education and how secession could affect the economy and their future employment opportunities. The panelists opted for taking cheap shots at the other side, rather than tackling the issues raised head on.

However, as the debate dragged on a percentage of the young crowd turned to their smart phones and social media to tweet ironic and scathing comments on the proceedings. The media picked up on this, and used it to stereotype young people as either disinterested or immature, insinuating that they were not ready to vote. As the vote came in, disaggregated data showed that over 80% of 16-17 year olds who registered voted, and that 79% of those voted ‘yes’. The fault lines between the young prepared to risk their future to build a nation, and the older vote which favoured stability was marked.

It’s not easy to engage young people meaningfully in a political process, and not all young people find their voice in formalized and often tedious policy wonk debates. I’ve witnessed many situations where young people are pulled into a policy process or advocacy campaign and been alienated by the experience. Exercising the right to influence decisions that affect their lives can take on many forms. Enabling expression through the arts, social media, and creative youth-led approaches would capture the attention and voice of young people, and enrich the political landscape.

Lowering the voting age presents exciting possibilities that could challenge political orthodoxies and campaigns, as well as recognize the roles and responsibilities that these young people have in our society. A spokesman for Votes at 16 rightly pointed out that “Locking them out is patronizing: it relies on outdated views about young people’s capacities.”

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About the Author

Paul Stephenson is the Senior Director Child Development and Rights Technical Cluster at World Vision International. The Child Development and Rights Team focuses on child protection, child participation, gender equality, disability inclusion and children’s spiritual nurture.  Paul has worked in humanitarian relief and development for 25 years, specializing in education, child rights and community development. Paul has worked in Latin America, Africa and Asia.