Malawi, an East African country of 21 million people, will hold elections on September 16.

With more than half of Malawi's population under the age of 35, the question of youth inclusion in politics has been drawing growing attention. During the 2019 elections, 54% of registered voters were between 18 and 35, according to the Commonwealth Observer Group and Malawi Electoral Commission records.

A recent constituency redemarcation exercise added 35 new seats to the previous 193, bringing the total to 228. The expansion has sparked fresh interest among young people to join active politics, amid growing unemployment and the ongoing global cost of living crisis.

But as random interviews reveal, youthful entrants are meeting mixed fortunes. While some have successfully launched their careers, others say that talk of youth empowerment is often empty rhetoric in parties, where older leaders still influence candidate selection.

At 32, Ivy Sande, a former ward councilor, has the will, energy, education and passion that many voters say they want in their parliamentary representatives.

But after months of moving from village to village rallying support for her candidacy for office, she's confronting a hard truth: breaking into Malawi's politics isn't just about fresh ideas. It means navigating party structures........

© Deutsche Welle