Young people in Eritrea played an immense role in the armed struggle and social changes that accompanied it. As a result of these contributions and efforts, a foundation for youth participation was developed even before independence. Still, despite their efforts and past involvement in public life, today Eritrean youth struggle to influence policymakers and to have opportunities to participate in decision-making.

Upon gaining independence, the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students (NUEYS) changed its program to take into consideration the post-independence challenges of organizing youth to bring about change in the country. Although active participation was a principle adopted in Eritrea from the beginning, NUEYS has faced many challenges in communicating the concerns of the youth to policymakers. Effective participation of young people in the policymaking processes and in the implementation of national development programs has only been possible through the active citizenship of youth and the leadership skills they have developed over the years [...]

Having played a major role in achieving independence for Eritrea, NUEYS took a leading role in mobilizing youth and giving them proper leadership training. At the same time, NUEYS had to build up its reputation in the country almost from scratch due to many post-independence challenges (i.e., reconstruction, nation building) and the government was not always there to provide support. In fact, there were times when a government ministry would simply close the door on the Union, refusing to include youth in the designing of youth-related programs, let alone in any policymaking process.

Through unremitting effort, fundraising, and designing its own programs, NUEYS was gradually able to build up its prestige to a point where some government ministries realized that their programs would fail if they didn’t include NUEYS. For instance, having developed its own health campaign, NUEYS was able to mobilize youth as peer educators raising HIV/AIDS awareness and promoting condom usage. This health program reached the grassroots level and was able to create many youth leaders. Understanding the effectiveness of the strategies used by NUEYS to mobilize young people, the Ministry of Health soon realized that including the Union as a vital stakeholder in its national HIV/AIDS program was the most efficient and effective way to spread HIV/AIDS awareness among youth. Accordingly, NUEYS became a member of the National HIV/AIDS and TB Control Division (NATCoD). NUEYS not only gained the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process on HIV/AIDS programs but was also able to gain government funds to establish youth health centers around the country.

Eritrea has a disproportionately young population and its mobilisation on the labour market is of great concern to the government. In 2009, only about half the population between the ages of 15-24, was employed. The government’s emphasis on higher education also implies that many of the country’s youth are increasingly well educated, but have no access to jobs.

Upon finishing high school, college or vocational training, young people are conscripted into national service. Created in 1994, up to 40 000 youth are called into national service annually for an indeterminate period that could last as long as ten years. In rural areas young people have little access to modern opportunities, and many engage in subsistence activities. The government needs to increase its commitment to socioeconomic policies and programmes aimed at absorbing youth into the labour market as a critical factor for lifting national standards of living. In order to be able to do so, it must first enhance its data collection on youth and labour more broadly in order to be able to make informed policy decisions.