During apartheid, South Africa’s Parliament only represented the interests of the white, predominantly male, minority. Social Justice Coalition’s Khadija Bawa says that while there have been changes much has stayed the same. Legislatures are still dominated by older, male politicians. As a young, Muslim woman of colour, Khadija is deeply concerned about Parliament’s limited representation of youth and women’s voices, particularly in key positions of power in political parties.

She chats about how her personal experiences with racial discrimination during her teenage years pushed her into activism and the importance of youth representation in Parliament. She also touches on the challenges that civil society organisations face in making sure that our elected representatives serve the interests of the majority while not discriminating against the minority.