Pakistan has a large number of youth population. About 193 million youth of Pakistan is facing so many daunting challenges. Currently, 64% of the nation is younger than 30 and 29% of Pakistanis are between 15 and 29 (an age group defined as youth). Pakistan now has more young people than it has ever had, and this is forecasted to continue increasing until at least 2050. Pakistan is one of the youngest countries in the world and the second youngest in the South Asian region after Afghanistan. This youth bulge will critically impact Pakistan as a country if not dealt with appropriately, depending on how the country invests in youth by providing them with quality education, employment and meaningful engagement opportunities.
The incumbent PTI-led government is no exception. Before coming to power, Imran Khan never ceased to mention the “important” role of youth in nation-building. He always pledged to invest in human capital rather than on roads, streets and buildings. On assuming power, Khan did launch a few programs for youths, but fall pretty short of needs and expectations. If youth are engaged and utilised properly, they can serve as catalysts for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It seeks to understand Pakistan’s human development challenges and opportunities from the viewpoint of youth. It focuses on how to improve human development outcomes, by empowering youth, addressing the root causes of the obstacles they face and by proposing innovative ways to overcome the challenges.
The first and foremost the government should devise a comprehensive youth-centric policy on how to produce educated and skilled youth, raise their capacity, best use of available talent, and make them part of job market. The government should set aside proper budget for the development of the youth.
With the overall abysmal picture, it is not surprising that the small gains of younger age group have not positively impacted youth between 20 and 24 years. Having no access to education, many turn to manual labour to support themselves while girls marry young, often with negative consequences for their reproductive health and life opportunities. Lack of investment in female education impacts women’s participation in the workforce. And even if job opportunities are available to women, patriarchal attitudes keep them back. However, the fact that changing demographics predict an increase in working-age population — from 85m in 2010 to 300m in 2050 — makes this the right time for formulating effective labour force policies as more youngsters enter adulthood. Any youth development policy task force must look into creating linkages between several sectors — health, education, child protection, employment, population — when drawing a framework and coordinating efforts between provincial partners.
The literacy rate of male youth is as low as 53% and for female, it’s even worse at the percentage of 42. Despite various efforts, the authorities are failed to provide education to this large number of population. That is why youth is unable to pay a pivotal role in society. They are not well informed about the ups and downs of society, the norms and values. The young generation in Pakistan has developed a sense of hopelessness and are trapped in uneducated ways of living rather than going to school. Many of them are going through an identity crisis.
Education is the key which opens door to success and develops a sense of cultural, religious and moral values. For third world countries like us, education is the most powerful tool to eradicate poverty. But unfortunately, quality and skill based education is still a dream for our youth. Unemployment is a multi-dimensional and complex issue which starts a vicious circle of associated problems like involvement of youth in radical politics, burglaries, social insecurity, lawlessness, and drug use. Unemployment is one of the biggest problems facing the youth today. The situation has worsened in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Lack of proper education and skills are among the factors affecting the chances of our younger workforce getting employed. Lack of transparency in recruitment to government jobs is also a demotivating factor for the young educated lot. Neglecting merit in recruitment process also discourages talent. The unemployed youths are highly likely to turn towards evils like drug addiction, crime and terrorism goes without saying.
Poverty is another major problem of our youth. Because of endemic poverty, the basic right of experiencing a healthy and educated childhood is missing in them. Domestic violence leads to increased risk towards certain health outcomes like major depression, dysthymia, conduct disorder, and drug abuse. Moreover, because women are primary caretakers in Pakistan, children also face increased risk for depression and behavioural problems. The practice of child marriage is prevalent in Pakistan, which disproportionately affects girls. Defined as marriage before the age of 18 years, child marriage is widespread in Pakistan and linked to spousal violence. Child marriage occurs most often in rural and low-income households where education is minimal.
Pakistan’s major cities and urban centres are home to an estimated 1.2 million street children. This includes beggars and scavengers who are often very young. The law and order problem worsens their condition as boys and girls are fair game to others who force them into stealing and smuggling to survive. A large proportion consumes readily available solvents to starve off hunger, loneliness and fear. Issues like domestic violence, unemployment, natural disasters, poverty, unequal industrialization, unplanned rapid urbanisation, family disintegration and lack of education are the major factors behind the increasing number of street children.
Malnutrition is one of the most significant public health problems in Pakistan, and especially among children. According to UNICEF, about half of children are chronically malnourished. National surveys show that for almost three decades, the rates of stunting and acute under nutrition in children under five years of age have remained stagnant, at 45 percent and 16 percent, respectively. Similarly, women are also at risk, with about half suffering from anemia, which is commonly caused by iron deficiency. Depression often starts at a young age and affects women more commonly than men.
The major problem is communication crack between them and their seniors, the prior believing them to be old enough for making their own choices for matters personal or social while the latter just decline to pass over this responsibility to them. This steers to temperaments intensifying more often. Drugs are the most common and major problems in our youth. Nowadays, half of young generation are addicted to drugs while smoking is popular. The government’s failure to harness youth bulge in the next 10 to 20 years will have tragic consequences in the shape of economic stagnation and more recruits for militancy and political conflict.
Rezwanullah, School of Management and Economics, at Beijing Institute of Technology also contributed to this article.
