Compared with other growing economies of the region, Pakistan has a larger proportion (32 per cent) of uneducated youth mostly with no vocational skills who end up in elementary occupations or remain either unemployed or inactive. Among these, female accounts for the larger share.
These remarks were made in a policy dialogue titled Under Alternative Perspectives-Old Issues, New Attentions, Health and Education as Youth Matters in Pakistan , organised by SACHET on International Youth Day (IYD). This year, the IYD also marks the culmination of the International Year of Youth (IYY) August 12, 2010 to 2011 that coincides with the 25th anniversary of the first International Youth Year in 1985. The theme of 25th IYY was Participation, Development, and Peace.
Panellists said that despite economic reforms and impressive economic growth in South Asia, the region countries face immense challenges in terms of human development. They said that progress in many human development indicators such as those related to health, education, malnutrition, and poverty remains slow and in many of these areas South Asia does more poorly than other developing regions including Sub Saharan Africa.
They gave the example of education sector where despite a significant reduction in the out of school children in South Asia over the past ten years, the present number in just two countries, Pakistan and India, remains one of the highest in the world.
Rabbi Royan said that Pakistan has some more years to materialise the demographic dividend period it is passing through. Making this benefiting for the economy or a turning it into a demographic disaster is in the hands of the policy makers, he said urging more investment in education, health and employment sectors to turn this dividend period into an opportunity.
Executive Director SACHET Rakhshinda Perveen said that one of the most important tasks of youth policy as highlighted in the world youth report 2005 is to improve the situation of girls and young women. Girls are often treated as inferior and are socialized to put themselves last thus undermining their self-esteem.
She said that negative cultural attitudes and practices as well as gender biased educational processes including curricula, educational materials and practices, teacher s attitudes and class room interactions reinforce existing gender inequalities.
Every 30 minutes, Pakistan loses a young mother. In Pakistan, as in other countries where maternal mortality is an issue, women die because of poverty, limited access to emergency obstetric care and inadequate pubic health facilities. She mentioned that as women have a lower status in society, they die because their lives are not a priority for their families or the government.

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SALMAN MUSHTAQ
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Email: salman@bzupages.com
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