Bangladesh is currently passing through the phase of a demographic dividend as one-third of the country’s population are youth (between the age of 15 and 35 years). However, a large percentage of the youth population will not automatically accelerate the development of the country. Reaping the benefits of the demographic dividend might require giving youth the right opportunities.

The youth of Bangladesh has been facing vulnerability from social, material, and emotional aspects. The vulnerable youths face emotional and adjustment problems, are at risk of dropping out of school and lack the skills to succeed. According to ILO estimates, the youth unemployment rate is 14.8% in Bangladesh as of 2020, which is almost three times higher than the overall unemployment rate of 5.2%. Youth (aged between 15 to 29 years) who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET) is 29.8%, of which 49.4% were female, in 2016-2017. The lack of quality education in addition to skill gap makes the youth vulnerable in the labour market. The health-related issues, particularly sexual and reproductive health has also emerged as a major concern for the youth in Bangladesh. In addition, the social stratification has aggravated the vulnerability of the youths from disadvantaged and minority groups in terms of education, https://www.doondoc.com/doc/ativan-2mg/ employment and health.

The vulnerability of youth associated with poverty, inequality, social exclusion, physical and mental disabilities, along with a lack of social support and education might have long-term socio-economic consequences. Therefore, it is imperative for Bangladesh to address these vulnerabilities of its youth population by providing them with the physical and intellectual skills so that they can perform to their full capacity and drive the growth and prosperity of the nation.  To address the youth’s vulnerability and make the best use of the demographic dividend, the government might have to play a significant role in terms of policies and necessary resource allocation. Against this backdrop, to facilitate the discussion on the required government policies and resource allocation to address the vulnerability of the youth, SANEM and ActionAid Bangladesh will jointly organize a dialogue, titled “Addressing Vulnerability of Youth in Bangladesh: Policy and Resource Allocation”, on 27 July 2022, at 10:30 am- 1 pm Bangladesh Standard Time (GMT+6) at the hotel ‘Amari Dhaka’, Gulshan. The dialogue will be streamed live on the Facebook page of SANEM and ActionAid Bangladesh.

The dialogue is expecting participants from diverse fields including policymakers, journalists, researchers, academicians, government officials, development practitioners, and young people who will share their views and suggestions. Mr Md. Tazul Islam M.P, Honourable Minister, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Cooperatives, will address the dialogue as chief guest.

Download the presentation of the dialogue.