Empowering underrepresented voices leads to better policies and more equitable political systems
All views expressed in this article by Salzburg Global Fellows are their own and do not represent those of their organizations.
How can we ensure that democratic systems are truly representative of their diverse populations?
In many democracies, elected political officials do not accurately represent the diversity of individuals within that country. Across countries, many believe policies would improve if more women, people from poor backgrounds, and young adults were in office.
A truly inclusive democracy empowers diverse leadership, addresses systemic inequalities, and effectively and sincerely includes diverse groups.
Salzburg Global Fellows of the third cohort of the Public Policy New Voices Europe program were challenged to explore how to foster truly inclusive policymaking processes. These emerging leaders are working together to increase human rights principles, youth voices, and gender equity in European democracies.
Existing Issues
Over the past decade, in several European countries, there has been a minimal increase in the members of parliament who come from underrepresented communities.
The European continent is increasingly diverse, yet growth in the visible presence of underrepresented groups including women, people with disabilities, youth, and those of immigrant origin, among others, are lagging in legislative chambers.
Diren Helin Herlbauer, a gender specialist at the United Nations Office at Vienna/United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, believes that a lack of representation of minority communities leads to poor policymaking.
“Historically, policymaking spaces have been dominated by men and often overlook the perspectives and needs of women, nonbinary individuals, gender minorities, and underrepresented communities in general,” she said. Helin continued, “This leads to laws and policies being designed by men, for men, and often fail to consider the different needs of all individuals in society. This lack of representation means that policies may fail to address the unique challenges that these groups face.”
Without diverse voices informing policy, investigative processes and criminal justice responses are ineffective. “These do not just hinder public policy from being effective, but they also perpetrate the cycle of abuse,” explained Helin.
As a legal advocate for victims of gender-based violence, Helin has “seen firsthand how policies that fail to understand diverse perspectives can perpetrate exclusion and injustice.”
Political representation often does not reflect the entire population’s interests, especially when some citizens live far from the country’s capital city. Samira Ben Ali, the outreach and engagement coordinator for World's Youth for Climate Justice, grew up on the French island of Mayotte, thousands of kilometers away from the central government in Paris. She experienced firsthand the difficulties of advocating for positive change from afar.
Reflecting on her experience with political representation, Samira explained that “you don't even understand what is happening [in the French parliament] and all the interaction you have with the central government is one where you feel left on the side.” This feeling of distance from the government is experienced by many groups who are not actively involved in policymaking.
Strengthening Democracy Through Diverse Voices
Creating space for a diversity of voices in policy spheres can have a positive effect not only for underrepresented populations but for democracy as a whole. When policies are designed to protect or benefit underrepresented groups, they often have beneficial effects on the entire population.
“If we want to live in a healthy democracy that's going to last, then we should give the means to people to interact with that power,” Samira said. She observed that “transparency and clear communication of what is happening” is currently missing across European democracies. Improving communication with citizens could help close representation gaps, especially for those who are often excluded and do not see their interests represented in politics.
Marcia Bikié Motogo Mengue, co-founder and co-president of GEMA Asociación - Guinea Ecuatorial Mujer Africana, works with young Afro-descendent women in Spain to promote leadership and social impact. Marcia believes that “effective leadership means empathy and showing that we are the same.”
Effective democratic leadership is created through active listening, and in return, the fostering of spaces where diverse voices can be heard equally. Marcia shows young people that everyone is equal in a democracy, emphasizing that “there's not anyone more important than the other, we are all in this together.”
Drawing on her experience, Helin has found that the inclusion of diverse voices is critical to addressing the power imbalances in democracy. For example, gender continues to play a significant role in how individuals are included in policymaking.
Helin clarified, “We don't actually have the same rights, all of us. We do have the same rights on paper, but the exercising of those rights depends on if we have access to those rights.” To ensure that everyone is equitably included, we need to first guarantee access to the same democratic rights, institutions, and resources.
Youth Empowerment
Democracy is strengthened when all citizens actively take part in civic life. One group that is often excluded from decision-making processes is young people. Youth outreach efforts can address the disconnect between democratic representatives and their young constituents.
The push in Europe to mobilize youth populations during the 2024 election season has shown relative success. However, rather than serving to temporarily gain youth votes, these outreach strategies should focus on “educating young people to make informed voting decisions in the future,” said Marcia. Civic education and the consistent involvement of young people in politics is a more lasting way to ensure their voices are heard.
Youth engagement is a field of work that Samira also holds close to her heart. She advocates for young people to be included throughout the entire policymaking process, as they bring a “different, fresh perspective” to the table. They should be involved in decisions that affect their future, such as those relating to climate change.
One way to close representative gaps is to encourage and uplift role models in society, Marcia recommended. She stressed that “representation matters” and “we should identify those who have the potential to inspire others.”
Helin, Samira, and Marcia are part of a new generation of role models that better reflect the diverse populations of European states. Along with their cohort of emerging leaders in public policy, they are actively involving themselves and others in shaping more inclusive democratic systems.
The Salzburg Global Fellows mentioned in this article are members of the third cohort of the Salzburg Global Public Policy New Voices Europe program. They attended the session on "Toward Inclusive Democracy: Nurturing Diverse Leadership in Public Policy".
In 2025, the program focus is on "Rebuilding Trust and Cohesion in European Public Policy".
Learn more about the Public Policy New Voices Europe program.
