OUR WHY: "Youth are underrepresented in..."
EMPLOYMENT
Young people not in education or employed are more likely to experience social and economic exclusion. This has long-term consequences that can last generations.
- 1 in 5 youth are not acquiring livelihood skills through education or work. That's 200,000,000 young people!
- Worldwide NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) rate are disproportionally affecting young women: 30% female and 13% male (ILO, 2019). Youth NEET is still understated as data are not available for all countries.
- In 2017, youth underemployment rates were higher than the corresponding adult rates in all but 6 of the 79 countries for data accounted for.
DATA
Many indices, but only 3 focused on youth and not up to date:
- Global Youth Wellbeing Index (last updated in 2017)
- Youth Progress Index (last updated in 2017)
- Youth Development Index (last updated in 2016)
No metrics on how much youth know about the Global Goals
Only 1 metric was used to measure youth representation in decision-making: percent of young members of parliament
DECISION-MAKING
Around 87% of youth live in developing countries, 30% in fragile and conflict-affected countries (Commonwealth Secretariat, 2016). While many are fostering peace and development at the community level...
- 1.9% of national legislatures are below age 30 and 14.2% are below age 40.
- Close to 33% of 'lower chambers' of parliament do not have a single member below age 30 (rises to 80% in 'upper chambers').
- Only 40% of the world's young member parliaments below 30 are female.
- Only 4 countries of 183 have people below 30 add to at least 10% of total lawmakers of that country (Youth Development Index, 2016).
MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS
Youth do not feel welcome in multilateral organizations and their events.
"You are failing us, but the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you, and if you choose to fail us, I say, we will never forgive you." - Greta Thunberg, 2019