State of the World's Children

Seizing the opportunity

Adolescence – An Age of Opportunity

Adolescence is a critically important age to harness children’s creativity, energy and passion and help them develop to their full potential. To enable adolescents to effectively rise above their challenges, targeted investments are necessary in five key areas:

§ Improving data collection to increase the understanding of adolescents’ situation and meet their rights

§ Investing in education and training to ensure that adolescents make an effective transition from primary to secondary school so that they have the means to lift themselves out of poverty and contribute to their national economies

§ Expanding opportunities for adolescents to participate, voice their opinion and contribute, for example in national youth councils, youth forums, community service initiatives, online activism and other avenues which enable adolescents to make their voices heard and influence their lives

§ Promoting laws, policies and programmes that protect the rights of adolescents and enable them to overcome barriers to essential services

§ Stepping up the fight again poverty and inequity through child sensitive programmes to prevent adolescents from being prematurely catapulted into adulthood

Creating strategies and programmes that specifically target adolescents and young people is a chance to end the cycle of poverty, eliminate inequities and secure a better future for the generation that holds tomorrow in its hands.

Español Français

Adolescence: An age of opportunity - Malaysia

Adolescence: An age of opportunity

The State of the World's Children 2011

Search:

Email this article