Investing in young people for the future

This is why young people, especially adolescent girls, are at the heart of our work at UNFPA. Working with a multitude of partners, in particular young people themselves, UNFPA is advocating policies and programs that invest in adolescents and youth and foster a positive environment for them; promoting their access to comprehensive sexuality education as well as quality sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning; and facilitating their leadership and participation. We are doing this with an emphasis on reaching the poorest, most marginalized and underserved adolescent girls.

Similar to other countries, in China, fast economic development and industrialization, accompanied by massive urbanization and increasing influence of globalization, have resulted in profound social transformation. In this situation, young people are under pressure from ever increasing expectations from various parts of society. As society transforms, young people need to adapt and be responsive to the multiple threats that they encounter in the process of growing up. That means they need to develop life-skills that will enable them to make informed and responsible choices. This includes gender-sensitive comprehensive sexuality education, proper access to information and youth friendly services and acquiring the knowledge and ability not to engage in harmful practices and substance abuse.

One of those worrying threats facing young people in China concerns the exposure to sexual and reproductive health risks. Practicing unsafe sex leads to unplanned pregnancies, abortions and sexually transmitted infections including HIV. A UNFPA-supported national survey on access and utilization of sexual and reproductive health services by unmarried youth aged 15-24 in China showed that even though the majority of unmarried youth are open to having sex before marriage, only a very small portion of them -- less than 5 percent, are well informed about reproductive health. Less than 15 percent had correct knowledge about preventing HIV infection. The survey showed that 4 out of 100 unmarried girls aged 15-24 became pregnant, and 90 percent of these pregnancies resulted in abortions.

UNFPA has been working with government partners, academia, civil society, youth groups and media in China to promote comprehensive sexuality education, youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services through leading research, advocacy and policy dialogue, as well as through campaigning and youth-led innovative activities. We have seen progress made in the collaborative efforts, and clear commitments from all parties involved to invest much more, to fulfill every young person's potential.

Adolescents and young people are central to sustainable development. It is essential to protect their rights and invest in their future. We must ensure young people have access to employment, life skills, education, and health. This must include sexual and reproductive health services and comprehensive sexuality education.

Adolescents and young people are at the center of the solution. In order to support effective policy-making and the improvement of information and service provision to respond to the emerging challenges, we must partner with young people themselves. Participation is a right of young people in matters concerning them. It is also a means to achieve youth-related goals. When identifying the needs of young people and how to close the gaps between the needs and the reality, young people must be consulted and involved. Policy makers and service providers must form partnerships with young people and work hand-in-hand in closing the existing gaps.

Underlying all of these efforts is the notion that the dignity and human rights of young people, especially adolescent girls, must be respected, protected and fulfilled.

Let us act now and act together in China and around the world -- investing in young people, for now and for a better future.

Arie Hoekman is the UNFPA representative to China.