A recent survey conducted by Raise Our Voice Australia has revealed some pretty jarring statistics about young Aussies’ relationship with politics. The organisation partnered with The Body Shop to survey 500 young women and non-binary folks across the country to get their opinion on everything from how they feel about Christian Porter’s allegations to whether they’d ever consider a future career in politics.
Some of the topline stats include the fact that 87% of young people think the media’s representation of women in politics is negative, and there’s been a 21% drop in willingness to pursue a career in politics amongst young women and non-binary people over the last year. Yikes.
On top of that, only 13% of young people felt represented in politics, 11% of LGBTQIA+ folks felt represented and just 6% of culturally and linguistically diverse young people represented. You can read the entire survey here for more insight into how folks are feeling right now.
With the election coming up (on May 21st, to be exact), it’s pretty eye-opening to see just how widespread young people’s disillusionment with politics is. While it may seem like a slog, the federal election is a pretty huge deal because it puts the power back in your hands to make a decision that’ll ultimately influence the country’s trajectory over the next four years.
And we get it — the whole idea of having the nation’s future influenced by a decision you make is intimidating.
Given we’re an Aussie news outlet here at Pedestrian, we cover the election pretty heftily. Our overall goal is to break things down and dive into the topics we know you’re passionate about to ultimately make the decision you make on voting day a little easier.
This year, we’ve also partnered up with The Body Shop (whose ads you’ve probably noticed around a couple of our election stories this week). Since its inception, The Body Shop has advocated for young people by working with incredible orgs to ensure young people’s voices are heard.
You can check out our full range of election coverage here, where you’ll find everything from what ScoMo says daily to where to snag the best sausage sizzle on voting day. Hopefully, you’ll find something that resonates amidst all the chaos because, let’s face it, it’s been a tough couple of years, and we’re all seeking a little sense right now.
