Dissecting the Sindh Youth Policy

The gaping divide between the youth (nationally defined as citizens covering the ages from 15 to 29 years) and the political framework of the state is no secret. Speaking on behalf of the youth of Pakistan, I can vouch for the overwhelming feeling of seclusion from the country’s active political framework and the lack of substantial say we have in the nation’s mandate, a sentiment which is echoed by the 29% of Pakistan’s population which comprises of its youth. It is the cumulative result of this feeling of seclusion, lack of political or civic education in the curriculums, or perhaps the intentional efforts of the leading political figures of the state to keep this age group distanced from the political system that has resulted in the insurmountable ignorance faced by the youth in terms of their political and civic rights, responsibilities, and capabilities.

My discovery and studying of the Sindh Youth Policy 2018, two years after it was released, (and the analysis and thought process that followed) symbolised the political standing of some of the youth of Pakistan – oblivious and uninformed. It is important to highlight that my ignorance of the presence of a policy drafted specifically to cater to me as a member of the youth is a dismal fact. What is more saddening is the grave difference between my presumptions regarding a government generated document and the actual nature of the policy. My inherent distance from actual government paperwork and political content throughout all aspects of my lifespan had enabled me to develop the notion of the government generated documents to be highly backward and invaluable in their context. On the contrary, I was pleasantly astonished to find the Sindh Youth Policy relatively well- informed and socially aware with respect to the nature of its content.

The policy puts forth a multi-sectoral framework and predictable Five-year Action Plan to guide youth development work in the province. It highlights issues and problems faced by the youth of the province and aims to provide strategies and mechanisms to cater to these concerns. The principle aim and vision of this policy is to ensure the social, economic, and civic and political empowerment of the youth in order to positively avail the demographic dividend. My assumption suggested that the issues highlighted would be superficial and generic in nature, such as the commonly known yet undeniable problems in the fields of education and employment. However, I found that the document covered a number of issues relevant specifically in today’s society and covered topics that demanded severe attention for decades but had been left unaddressed.

Appeasing, in my opinion, was how the document acknowledged sexual and reproductive health concerns among the youth and the dire need to cater to these. Sexual health, reproductive education, and family planning are generally treated as taboo topics in most parts of the country. I was keenly impressed by the government’s decision to accept that these are important aspects that need to be considered in order to drive the youth towards empowerment. The aim to inculcate these topics in educational curriculums and encouragement towards the spread of awareness regarding sexually transmitted diseases and issues relevant to the ignorance regarding family planning and contraceptive measures, such as uncontrolled population growth and maternal health risks has been the need of the hour for decades.

Moreover, the document also vouched for the rights of the third gender or transgender youth. This population of the youth is an indisputable asset that has been neglected since the beginning. The transgender community has been marginalised due to the attached stigmas and social ills. The policy’s special attention to their cause is especially relevant in order to support their nascent struggle for their due rights as respectable and valuable citizens.

The policy also revolved around gender inequality and supported the need to strengthen and deliver the rights of women and young girls in terms of a multitude of aspects, including equal job opportunities and pay, access to education, and the ban on child marriages. What is more heartening is that the policy acknowledges vulnerable youth groups, minority youth, and the differently-abled youth as an essential yet side-lined part of the youth that has the potential to act as assets for the country. It is a combination of these highlighted issues that ensure that the policy is socially aware and uses an interdisciplinary approach to tend to the issues faced by the youth of Sindh and devise strategies to counter them. For me, this is a significantly positive step taken towards the development and empowerment of the province and its inhabitants.

My appreciation and recognition of this pragmatic step taken by the Sindh government do not imply that I am blind to all their shortcomings and the multitude of areas that this policy lags behind in. While the issues covered are multidimensional in nature, the policy is limited in its content only to the recognition of these issues. There is a failure to chalk out a clear strategy to address certain challenges, and instead a very broad approach is adopted. The government here has successfully matched my presumptions of lacking in the implementation of its policies. Rarely have we seen the deliverance of satisfactory responses in terms of the implementation or execution of the strategies designed by the government; and the same holds true for the Sindh Youth Policy. One act that needs to be lauded is the passing of a bill to be approved by the Sindh Assembly in November 2019 for the uplifting of the ban on Student Unions in Sindh. This was a long overdue step that was necessary for the political empowerment of the youth of the province.

Conclusively, as a member of the youth, I feel that the discourse regarding the routes required for youth empowerment is very nascent as of yet. The Sindh government needs to reconsider the mechanisms needed to deliver practical outcomes; since given the refined nature of its aims and vision, timely implementation can lead Sindh’s youth towards inherent success.