Youth policy: Draft sent for vetting
Critics say the draft does not address important issues.
LAHORE:
A draft of the Punjab Youth Policy, has been sent to the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Committee for vetting. Some stakeholders have reservations despite three major consultations in December last year.
The draft policy focuses on social, political and economic empowerment of the youth – identified as individuals aged 15-29. Under the proposed policy, the provincial government will be responsible for providing education and employment opportunities.
The draft proposes that youth be consulted during formulation of any policies pertaining to them. It also advocates the setting up of youth health committees and help lines to aid adolescents seek counselling on reproductive and sexual health issues as well as drug abuse.
Critics say that this insufficient. Dr Irfan Ahmed, the country health adviser at PLAN Pakistan, which focuses on providing rights to marginalised children, said that the draft failed to address health issues of adolescents who fall in the age bracket of 9 to 19 years.
Dr Ahmed – who has been advocating that the provincial government include an adolescent policy framework in the youth policy – said, “15 to 19 is the age group during which adolescence and youth overlap. The policy doesn’t address this bracket specifically as adolescents,” he said.
Muhammad Tehseen, South Asia Partnership Pakistan executive director, hoped that the final draft would incorporate stakeholders’ concerns. “The culture and language of a province has to be included in such a policy,” he said adding that it was essential that the policy benefits marginalised youth groups. “What remains to be seen is how this policy makes its way through the inter-departmental dynamics. The most important thing is how well it is implemented,” said Tehseen.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Bargad executive director Sabiha Shaheen said the preparatiom of the draft had involved more than 20 consultations with various stakeholders over a period of eight months. Bargad, an NGO promotes the rights of youth and has been a major player in the drafting of the policy. “The feedback from parliamentarians was very useful in helping us identify areas where improvements can be made,” she said. Shaheen hoped that the policy will be approved by the end of January. “We incorporated the concerns raised during every consultation in the final draft,” she said.
After vetting, the committee will send the draft to the provincial cabinet for approval.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2012.
A draft of the Punjab Youth Policy, has been sent to the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Committee for vetting. Some stakeholders have reservations despite three major consultations in December last year.
The draft policy focuses on social, political and economic empowerment of the youth – identified as individuals aged 15-29. Under the proposed policy, the provincial government will be responsible for providing education and employment opportunities.
The draft proposes that youth be consulted during formulation of any policies pertaining to them. It also advocates the setting up of youth health committees and help lines to aid adolescents seek counselling on reproductive and sexual health issues as well as drug abuse.
Critics say that this insufficient. Dr Irfan Ahmed, the country health adviser at PLAN Pakistan, which focuses on providing rights to marginalised children, said that the draft failed to address health issues of adolescents who fall in the age bracket of 9 to 19 years.
Dr Ahmed – who has been advocating that the provincial government include an adolescent policy framework in the youth policy – said, “15 to 19 is the age group during which adolescence and youth overlap. The policy doesn’t address this bracket specifically as adolescents,” he said.
Muhammad Tehseen, South Asia Partnership Pakistan executive director, hoped that the final draft would incorporate stakeholders’ concerns. “The culture and language of a province has to be included in such a policy,” he said adding that it was essential that the policy benefits marginalised youth groups. “What remains to be seen is how this policy makes its way through the inter-departmental dynamics. The most important thing is how well it is implemented,” said Tehseen.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Bargad executive director Sabiha Shaheen said the preparatiom of the draft had involved more than 20 consultations with various stakeholders over a period of eight months. Bargad, an NGO promotes the rights of youth and has been a major player in the drafting of the policy. “The feedback from parliamentarians was very useful in helping us identify areas where improvements can be made,” she said. Shaheen hoped that the policy will be approved by the end of January. “We incorporated the concerns raised during every consultation in the final draft,” she said.
After vetting, the committee will send the draft to the provincial cabinet for approval.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2012.