“Insights from Youth Desires”, an extensive survey initiative led by PMNCH, a global coalition advocating for the health and well-being of women, children, and adolescents under the auspices of the World Health Organization, has unveiled its preliminary findings via a public dashboard on the eve of UN International Youth Day 2023, observed on August 12th.
The survey engages individuals aged 10 to 24 in articulating their own aspirations for well-being, granting voice to those who have often gone unheard, including those in vulnerable and resource-constrained contexts.
Out of a total of 713,273 respondents within the age bracket of 10 to 24, the most prominent aspiration among young individuals (40.5%) revolves around acquiring knowledge, competence, education, skills, and employability.
This mirrors a strong inclination towards job security, financial stability, material well-being, and self-reliance. This sentiment resonates across all age groups, especially among the 15 to 19-year-olds (47.2%) and adolescent girls (49.2%), who frequently emphasize the necessity for “learning opportunities” and “high-quality education”.
In the year 2022, the closure of schools due to COVID-19 led to substantial learning setbacks in low- and middle-income nations, leaving up to 70% of 10-year-olds unable to read or comprehend basic texts, a surge from the pre-pandemic 53%.
Concurrently, the rise in global conflicts has hindered many young people’s entry into the job market, often due to inadequate education, physical and psychological impediments, and the scarcity of educational and vocational training.
The looming threat of climate change further exacerbates economic stability, as an estimated 60% of global youth lack the requisite skills to support the transition towards a sustainable economy.
PMNCH’s objective is to gather responses from a minimum of 1 million young individuals by October 2023, culminating in the Global Forum for Adolescents. This virtual assembly stands as the largest-ever event centered on adolescent well-being, energizing the 1.8 Young People for Change movement, inaugurated in October 2022.
Addressing Neglected Needs in Real-Time
The survey employs both digital technology and direct engagement through teams of trained youth mobilizers to amass responses on a substantial scale. A WhatsApp-based chatbot enables smartphone users to swiftly register their responses by scanning a QR code.
Non-smartphone users, with limited access to technology, can register their opinions through 1.8 campaign youth mobilizers operating at the community level in over 20 participating countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, including nations like Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, Ghana, India, and Indonesia.
Following data entry, an algorithm promptly evaluates and categorizes each response into five major “domains,” guided by a conceptual framework on adolescent well-being devised by UN entities in collaboration with PMNCH. This framework organizes and categorizes diverse adolescent needs, identified through comprehensive community outreach and research, highlighting the interdependence of health, education, safety, resilience, and positive values in shaping well-being.
Key Revelations
Additional shared needs and concerns expressed by young respondents encompassed “safety and a supportive environment” (cited by 21.2% overall) and “good health and optimal nutrition” (16.3%).
The youngest respondents voiced specific concerns: 11.0% of those aged 15 to 19, 8.4% of those aged 20 to 24, and 1.8% of those aged 10 to 14 emphasized the necessity for a “safety and a supportive environment”. Adolescent boys underscored the importance of “clean water” and “well-maintained roads,” while adolescent girls expanded the list to include “free sanitary pads” alongside “clean water.”
In total, nearly half of the respondents (47.2%) fell within the 15 to 19 age range, comprising 25.7% females and 21.5% males. Within this group, the average age was 16, constituting 13% of the overall respondents. The youngest cohort, aged 10, constituted the smallest proportion at 1.2%, while the oldest, aged 24, represented 7.3% of the respondents.
Approximately 1% of respondents identified themselves as transmen, transwomen, gender-fluid, two-spirit, nonbinary, agender, or preferred not to disclose their gender.
A majority of respondents (68.8%) hailed from the African region, followed by the South-East Asia region at 27.5%, with a smaller minority originating from Latin America. Survey efforts thus far have prioritized low- and middle-income nations, accentuating the amplification of lesser-heard voices. Future endeavors will extend to encompass high-income countries.
India constituted the largest respondent group, comprising 17.2% of the overall sample. Uganda ranked as the second-largest contributor at 12.0%, followed by Indonesia at 10.2%, and Zambia at 8.4%.