These 15 young politicians have all been shortlisted because of the considerable impact they have made to politics.
The One Young World Politician of the Year Award recognises five of the world's most outstanding politicians between the ages of 18 - 35, who are using their positions to have a positive impact on young people in their communities and countries. Through their important work, these candidates highlight the benefit of including young people in politics.
The shortlisted nominees are currently being reviewed by One Young World’s expert judging panel, who will decide the final five winners.
The winners will be announced in July and will be presented with this award at the One Young World Summit Belfast, 2023
The Shortlist
Antonia Cósmica Orellana Guarello, Chile
Antonia is Chile's Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Vice President of the Inter-American Commission of Women of the Organization of American States. In charge of Social Organizations under the command of President Gabriel Boric, she has dedicated her career to the feminist movement both in Chile and in Latin America.
Arielle Kayabaga, Canada
Arielle is the first Black woman to be elected as the Member of Parliament for London West. After leaving Burundi amid civil war, Arielle is passionate about ensuring that new Canadians have the resources to settle in the country and is focused on homelessness prevention, civic engagement, and inclusive communities. She embodies the qualities of a new type of political leader: progressive, resilient, and optimistic.
Ayor Makur Chuot, Australia
Ayor is a Member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia and a Member of the Joint Standing Committee on the Commissioner for Children and Young People. Born in an Ethiopian refugee camp, she lived for ten years in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp before arriving in Perth at fifteen. She is Western Australia’s first MP of African descent and the first person from a South Sudanese background to occupy a seat in any Parliament in Australia.
Camila Crescimbeni, Argentina
Camila became one of the youngest MPs in Argentina's Congress, elected at 29, after serving for two years as President of her party’s Youth wing, four years as National Director of Youth policies, and two years as councilwoman. An activist for sustainable development and youth rights in Congress, she presides over the Population and Human Development Committee. After the unexpected death of her twin baby Silvestre, Camila has worked intensely on childhood and family issues.
Eóin Tennyson, Northern Ireland
Eóin is a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Northern Ireland. At 23, he was the youngest person ever elected to the Assembly. He has consistently worked to promote LGBTQIA+ equality, particularly amongst young people, and in August 2022 launched the new All-Party Group on LGBTQIA+ equality which aims to promote and protect the rights of the community over the course of the new Assembly mandate.
Fatima Payman, Australia
Fatima is a Senator for Western Australia, and an Australian Muslim with cultural roots from Afghanistan. She is the first hijab-wearing woman to be elected to the Australian Parliament, and is the youngest person in the current 47th Parliament. Fatima is passionate about representing hard-working Australians, as well as breaking down barriers for women and young people, and encouraging them to voice their opinions.
George Mwanza, Zambia
Elected as the Mayor of Chipata at 27, George became the youngest Mayor in Zambia. He is currently serving as the Vice President of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa Network of Young Elected Mayors of Southern Africa for the SADC region. The Mayor's Office under George is the People's office where he has put the agenda of youth participation in governance a priority.
Hiram Hernández Zetina, Mexico
Hiram is a Member of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies. He was elected as the national chairman of the PRI's youth wing and achieved a reform to the party’s statutes which have since allowed the nomination of 30% young people under the age of 35 to all elected offices. Recently, he pushed a bill that sought to lower the minimum age for young candidates from 21 to 18 years old.
Irene Montero, Spain
Irene is the Minister of Equality of Spain. Irene and her team, largely composed of young women, have promoted a feminist agenda passing laws as the “Only yes is yes" law to combat sexual violence, the law for the real and effective equality of trans people and LGBT+ rights and the reform of the law on abortion. As Time Magazine recently said, Irene has spearheaded feminist laws at an inflection point for gender equality, not only in Spain, but worldwide.
Mauree Turner, USA
Mauree is the Representative for Oklahoma's 88th House District. They made history as the first Black person to hold this seat, the first non-binary person elected in US history, and the first Muslim Oklahoman ever elected to the state legislature. Since their election, Mauree has worked to engage youth about tuning into politics and political organising, even if they can't vote.
Moko Tepania, New Zealand
Moko is the youngest and first Māori to be elected as mayor of the Far North District. He is the first to have submitted a council report in the Māori language and is the first elected member to have spoken only te reo Māori in a council meeting. He is a supporter of the Make It 16 campaign to lower the age of voting and currently sits on the national committee for the Mayors Taskforce For Jobs with a mission to create better employment and education opportunities for youth at a local level.
Prabakaran Parameswaran, Malaysia
Prabakaran became the youngest MP in Malaysian history when he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Batu aged 22. He played a vital role in lowering the voting age from 21 to 18, to empower a new generation of voters. Prabakaran's election sent out a clear message: Malaysians are ready to accept younger generation leaders as their representatives, and for political systems to be representative, all parts of society must be included.
Samuel Cogolati, Belgium
Samuel is a Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Belgium and serves as Deputy Chair for the Foreign Affairs Committee. He co-chairs the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China and is the youngest ever President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union's Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians. Samuel has fought tirelessly against mass atrocities and human rights abuses, and was behind Belgium's inclusion of the crime of ecocide in the new Criminal Code.
Sobita Gautam, Nepal
At 27, Sobita is the youngest female parliamentarian in Nepal's history. Her role as a founding member of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, aiming to eradicate corruption, has propelled the party to become the fourth largest political entity in the country. Sobita's popularity serves as a catalyst for youth engagement in politics, ensuring that the voices of the young are effectively represented in decision-making processes.
Yong Hye-in, South Korea
Yong Hye-in is a Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. She led a social movement to commemorate the 2014 Sewol Ferry disaster, and has been at the forefront in the fight against discrimination against minorities. In 2020, she founded the Basic Income Party, where 80% of the members were in their twenties. She presents basic income as an alternative to inequality and climate crisis in the post-pandemic era.