Youth policy for Sindh urged

Interdepartmental and inter-sectoral collaborations needed to overcome challenges

KARACHI:

Stakeholders from NGOs, youth-focused organisations, students, trans-rights activists, academia, the private sector, business organisations and representatives of different government departments emphasised an inclusive implementation plan for a Sindh youth policy.

During a consultative workshop on Development of Implementation Strategy of Sindh Youth Policy, held by UNDP and UNFPA in Karachi, the participants expressed that the youth is facing various social and economic challenges so their development needs to be a priority of policymakers and the provincial government.

The participants shared their views on the effectiveness of national and provincial level programmes on youth development. They said interdepartmental coordination was lacking and pinpointed the overlapping of work related to youth development.

Read Youth get Rs1.2b loans for starting business

“We have to think futuristically on the challenges and opportunities that the youth will encounter and how to better prepare them for the same,” said UNDP Youth Empowerment Programme Manager Laura Sheridan. “Digitalization, gender empowerment, climate change, sexual and reproductive rights, and mental health are all emerging issues which matter to the youth and which need to be considered,” she added.

UNFPA Office Head Bayramgul Garabayeva said: “The problems are multi-sectoral, hence, it is important to ensure interdepartmental and inter-sectoral collaborations to overcome them.” Additional Youth Affairs Secretary Shakir Qayyum Khanzada congratulated UNDP and UNFPA on providing a platform for all key stakeholders to share their ideas on the implementation strategy.