Media centre

Speech by Anne Skatvedt, UNICEF Representative, 25 April 2004

Your Excellency Mamoun Noureddin, President of the Higher Council for Youth
Dr. Seri Hamdan, Secretary General of the Higher Council for Youth,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

This launch of the fact sheet on “Youth Participation and Social Relationships”, a summary of findings based on the 2002 Jordanian National Youth Survey, is the first of a series that will take place in the near future.

To ensure direct and accessible information based on the National Youth Survey, we decided to produce summarized fact sheets. Six fact sheets which tackle different aspects of adolescents perceptions and behavioural trends were produced to highlight the theme, findings and recommendations.

The report of the survey provided baseline data for Jordan’s ongoing and participatory process of developing the National Youth Strategy.  This strategy is developed in partnership with the Higher Council for Youth and the United Nations Development Programme under the supervision of a Technical Committee of stakeholders.

At the national level, nine consultants are working on the development of the national youth strategy organized by different themes.  They are: Participation, education, work, recreation, Information Communication Technology, media and culture, environment, citizenship and civil rights, and health.  One of the themes is participation which is indeed the subject of the fact sheet we are launching today.

Your Excellency,

In Jordan, our effort to expand the participation of young people is in line with His Majesty King Abdullah’s enthusiasm to involve youth in the development process.  His Majesty urged youth to participate in political development during a meeting at the University of Jordan where he said:” I care about the ideas and opinions of our youth, and I want to know your opinion on political and economic reforms freely without formalities, because the future of Jordan is your future”.

Along the same line, Jordan will be celebrating the International Year of the Family in May, where youth participation in decision making within the family setting is one of the main themes slated for Jordan’s celebration.  Twelve messages developed by youth as part of how to improve the dialogue with their parents are some of the main messages for this event.

With reference to the “Youth Participation and Social Relationships” factsheet regarding open discussion within the family, adolescent boys who are 15-19 years old turn to their fathers to solve their problems while girls tend to consult with their mothers.  But, a high percentage do not share their problems with anybody.

Adolescents in Jordan also need to be encouraged to participate in social and public life. At home, open discussions on matters related to life and society between adolescents and adult household members, as equal partners must be promoted.  They need to be consulted regarding decisions concerning their education, employment opportunities - and for girls also marriage.

On the other hand, adolescents themselves need to improve their self-awareness and social skills necessary for voicing their opinions and influencing their own lives to act as agents of change to improve their situation.

UNICEF’s Adolescents Programme aims to increase adolescents participation in social and public life at the same time addressing adolescents, their parents and service providers such as teachers, youth workers and NGO staff.  In this we have worked in partnership with the Higher Council for Youth.

The Youth Participation and Social Relationships factsheet indicates that young girls experience more restrictions on their mobility than young boys.  This difference is most dramatic with regards to accessing and using public places such as markets, youth facilities and internet cafes.  Girls have fewer places where they can enjoy each other’s company, be part of social networks, receive mentoring and other support, and acquire skills outside the classroom.

UNICEF in cooperation with the Higher Council for Youth and many concerned parties like the Ministry of Education, introduced a Basic Life Skills and Healthy Lifestyles training.  The aim is to provide necessary skills for participation, while parents and service providers are trained on participatory and gender sensitive approaches to create a positive and enabling environment.

Based on the findings presented in the fact sheet, we should ensure that boys and girls have access to appropriate spaces their parents are comfortable with, where they can learn and grow.  This is particularly important for girls.  Preparing youth service providers to communicate and establish strong relationships with adolescents is another important aspect of youth development and participation.  I am in this context very pleased that the national consultants are working on the concept of “an enabling environment” as part of the participation concept.

In closing, allow me, Your Excellency, to commend the partnership UNICEF has enjoyed with the Higher Council for Youth over the past years.  I hope that the information provided by this fact sheet will be of use and an effective tool to stimulate a debate that will improve the scope and quality of adolescent participation in Jordan.

Thank you.