setting the less personal and political efficacy young women have due to the combination of patriarchy and the cultural prohibitions about age. Employment We first look at the status of employment of the respondents and the extent to which it is inhibiting or promoting participation. According to the most recent census in 2012, 77% of the 13 million population is below the age of 35 years. Youth aged 15-34 years old constitute 36% of our population, and constitutes 56% of the economically active population. By looking at participation in events such as national elections, youth constitute 41% of the electorate yet only 14% participate in the voting process5. Table 3: Employment status Male Female Business 2.5% 0 Self-employed 45% 40% Family support 35% 58% Employed 5% 0 With the dearth of the formal economy as a result of both political and economic crisis emerging in the late 90s, the economy has taken a new shape that has become a norm, characterised by a phrase commonly referred to as “kukiya-kiya”6 , perhaps simply defined as the ―informal economy‖. Kukiya-kiya is basically doing anything and everything just to get by and suggests cleverness, dodging the police, and the exploitation of whatever resources are at hand, all with an eye to self-sustenance, i.e. hustling. This phenomenon is not only limited to urban areas but also takes place in rural areas as Zimbabweans, old and young seek to survive. The respondents confirm that 45% (male) and 40% (female) are self-employed and trying to make ends meet and reflecting the now ―new economy‖, the kiya-kiya economy. Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti acknowledged the kiya-kiya economy in his description of the current Zimbabwean economy7. The kiya-kiya economy has wider implications on citizen participation and engagement at any level of government as will be discussed in subsequent sections. With most citizens hustling and trying to irk a living, attending public or community meetings becomes secondary as the majority of the targeted people are in survival mode. The public meetings are described as ‗useless‘ and ―a waste of time‖ bringing no tangible results to address the concerns of the people. These sentiments were shared in the FGDs, where, in Gweru (Urban) service delivery is reportedly poor and the councillors are said to be non-responsive and corrupt. From the respondents only 5% male were in formal employment and none from the female respondents. Most are being supported by their families (35% males and 57.5% females). This is indicative of the challenges and the strains posed by the local economy and its failure to create employment opportunities. This also puts a strain on families to provide food on the table. For the younger people, finding opportunities out of the country becomes appealing 5 RAU Publication - Framing the debate: youth voter registration in Zimbabwe in preparation for 2018 elections, April 2017 6Jeremy L. Jones - ‗Nothing is Straight in Zimbabwe‘: The Rise of the Kukiya-kiya Economy 2000–2008, Journal of Southern African Studies, Volume 36, Number 2, June 2010 7 Biti‘s ‗kiya-kiya‘ performance treacherous, http://nehandaradio.com/2009/07/20/biti%E2%80%99s%E2%80%98kiya-kiya%E2%80%99-performance-treacherous/. Comment made by Jonathan Moyo after Tendai Biti‘s budget presentation in which he referred to the economy as kiya kiya. 7