Pakistan’s youth power

Three weeks ago, one of my colleagues introduced his son Talha to me; the 20-year-old with an otherwise slender frame, stood tall, eyes gleaming while telling me that he had just won a financial grant and student exchange program from the US embassy to pilot an innovative solution to save water in an era of climate change in Pakistan.

Talha was one of six winners of an open call for innovative solutions for Pakistan’s challenges. And he is one of 62 million young Pakistanis who hold immense potential and yearn for a chance to showcase their talent to help themselves and future generations in Pakistan if a proper chance is given to them.

Let us agree first that every young person in Pakistan has the potential for greatness, a revolution, and a dream beyond boundaries. But this very force might end up a potential threat to the country’s current and future social fabric, security, and livelihood if Pakistan fails to harness their thriving potential.

The current reality paints a bleak picture, where more than 26 million children in Pakistan remain out of school. This number represents a staggering 35 per cent of the population aged 5-16 years according to data from Census 2023; the Labour Force Survey 2020-21 further reveals that approximately 22 million youth are neither in education nor in training.

A closer look at the situation of Pakistan’s youth through the UN’s global lens underscores a pressing need for development. The country ranks at 162 out of 182 countries on the Commonwealth Global Youth Development Index, and is 158th out of 177 countries on the Women, Peace and Security Index.

Comparing the 2017 and 2023 census statistics, with 70 per cent of Pakistan’s population below the age of 30, the country adds roughly 3000 persons to the young population each day – three thousand opportunities, hopes, and challenges. Sadly, 27 per cent of these young people are illiterate with a stark gender gap as the illiteracy rate among women reaches 35 per cent. Education enrolment rates, with the gross intake at the primary level at 81 per cent, dropped considerably to 54 per cent in Balochistan.

The health landscape of young people in Pakistan is equally concerning where one in eight adolescent girls and one in five adolescent boys are underweight, and over half are anaemic. Only one in five married girls uses any form of family planning method; this is not by choice, but due to a lack of good services, autonomy, or knowledge. Statistics reveal that over 18 per cent of married girls below the age of 29 years have an unmet need for family planning and about a fifth of girls of aged 15 to 19 have already started childbearing. A distressing 26 per cent of girls (15-29 years) have been exposed to gender-based violence.

World leaders have long recognized the role young people play in building nations and driving global progress. The UN designated August 12 as the International Youth Day (IYD) to promote initiatives that foster peace, mutual respect and understanding by dedicating time and resources to empowering youth and equipping them with tools to address global challenges. The IYD serves as a forum for social education, encouraging youth involvement in politics, and facilitating the allocation of resources to address global concerns.

The United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 on youth, peace, and security represents a landmark decision that shaped intervention to develop youth capacities, skills, and opportunities through five key pillars for action: participation, protection, prevention, partnerships, and disengagement and reintegration. The UNSC 2250 resolution is a robust framework.

The UNFPA’s strategy, launched a decade ago, suggests that realizing the full potential of adolescents and youth shows a strong and unequivocal commitment to fulfilling the human rights of young people. In 2019, the UNFPA continued its commitment to the youth agenda through the landmark strategy of “my body, my life, my world” which puts young people – their talents, hopes, perspectives, and unique needs – at the heart of sustainable development. This is particularly relevant to the situation in Pakistan, where the social, economic, and environmental realities for young people have created one of the largest groups of marginalized and excluded people the world has ever seen.

UNFPA Pakistan, with the support of various donors, has supported several initiatives to empower and support young people. These initiatives include a comprehensive situation analysis of adolescents and youth and their reproductive health, embedding life skills-based education into the school curriculum, establishing a National Youth Helpline (0800 69457) in partnership with the Higher Education Commission, actively supporting youth-led platforms, and the development of youth-centred policies. The UNFPA is leading the coordination of the UN Country Team’s collective approach to engaging and supporting the youth of Pakistan.

If Pakistan chooses today to invest in its youth and adolescents, through their education, livelihoods, sexual and reproductive health, and civic participation, while upholding their human rights, the country will reap the fruits of a resilient, confident, and talented generation tomorrow. However, such investments require a collective commitment and the momentum of a united movement where everyone plays a part; government, youth-serving organizations, community-based organizations, parliamentarians, the private sector, international organizations, development partners, and most importantly young people themselves.

It is an opportune moment to rally communities, cities, and villages to work hand-in-hand with young people paving the way to a future where adolescent girls and boys seamlessly transition into productive adulthood. This path is built upon a foundation of education, good health, freedom from STIs and HIV, and protection from violence, unintended pregnancy, and unsafe abortions.

Pakistan must become a nation where girls and boys are treated equally and where young people’s human rights are championed and respected. This is the path toward a resilient, sustainable, and prosperous future for Pakistan.

The writer is the UNFPA representative in Pakistan.