Government urged to design policy to reduce youth vulnerability

A report on youth development has urged government to develop policies to reduce youth vulnerability, address the underlying structural inequalities and remove constraints for disadvantaged youth.

The report called on government to improve on public financial management to tackle inequality and sustain programmes such as youth employment.

Mr Michael Boampong, a Youth Development Consultant, presented the report at a consultative workshop to validate the “State of Youth Development Report”, organised by the National Youth Authority (NYA).

The report recommended a strict financial accountability and anti-corruption measures to oversee funding allocations in the education sector.

On health issues, the report revealed that there was limited knowledge of HIV, adding that only 20 per cent of young females and 27 per cent of males had comprehensive knowledge about HIV/AIDS issues.

The report lauded government’s efforts in initiating the National Health Insurance Scheme, and called for its sustenance and an inclusive approach to deal with health-related issues.

It recommended government to increase awareness, stigmatization and discrimination campaigns to tackle the menace of HIV/AIDS.

The report recommended the need to encourage research and development on non-communicable diseases to improve prevention, detection, treatment and control of common condition.

Touching on employment and opportunities, the report expressed concern about the rate of unemployment, urging government to improve on youth entrepreneurship and financial literacy.

The report recommended to government to address child labour to improve youth employment outcomes and offer access to finance to stimulate job creation.

Commenting on the report, Mr Boampong said government had made strides in the education sector with policies to address education-related inequalities in the country.

Notable among the policies were the capitation grant, which had increase primary school enrolment from 59 per cent to 69 per cent in certain school districts, particularly among girls, school feeding programme and free Senior High School.

Mr Emmanuel Sin-nyet Asigri, the Chief Executive Officer, NYA said a lot of progress had been made by the Authority in the review of the National Youth Policy (NYP) that was introduced in 2010.

“This is to make the policy responsive to contemporary demand and needs of the youth, taking into consideration the 2030 Global Development Agenda, the Agenda 2053 of the African Union, the African Union Charter, the Commonwealth Youth Development Index Indicators, current statistical data and best practices in the international youth development front”, Mr Asigri stated.

He noted that a reviewed youth policy would enhance the status of the youth by empowering them to build on their competences, their capabilities for life, and that would focus on key areas such as education, health, wellbeing, political participation, civic participation, employment opportunities, as well as gender equality and social inclusion.

He commended the Commonwealth Secretariat for its continuous support to the NYA over the years, especially in supporting the development of the report and the review of the NYP.