IN many parts of the world, including South Asia, Generation Z has emerged as a political force to be reckoned with. Gen Z refers to those born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s. In almost every continent their protests have led to the ouster of governments or put rulers on notice of the price they have to pay for misgovernance. Popular demonstrations led predominantly by youth have been sweeping the world since the ‘Aragalya’ movement in Sri Lanka in 2022. Mass student protests produced the downfall of the long-entrenched regime of Hasina Wajed in Bangladesh in 2024. This September, Gen Z protests forced the resignation of the Nepalese prime minister.

Earlier this month, youth-led protests helped to topple the government in Madagascar. Gen Z has also been prominent in pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the world to express solidarity with the people of Gaza. In Morocco, Indonesia, the Philippines, Kenya and Peru, Gen Z has taken to the streets to voice its rejection of the political status quo.

What lies behind this global wave of youth discontent? The drivers and triggers of these protests vary as do the underlying causes because the issues and political contexts are different and specific to each country. But there are common features. The protests are principally against the abuse of power, authoritarian governance, incompetent rule, elite privileges, nepotism, corruption, rising inequality and joblessness amid deteriorating economic conditions.

These protests have occurred in countries with youthful populations so........

© Dawn