Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP)
In Turkey, UNICEF is committed to supporting adolescent girls and boys in developing and reaching their full potential
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The challenge
“Adolescent and Youth Engagement” is a guiding principle for UNICEF’s work in Turkey focused on ensuring that all adolescents in the country have the opportunity to grow and develop their potential, collaborate with adults (and organizations and agencies) working on their behalf, and take an active role in pursuing their priorities and goals. UNICEF defines Adolescent and Youth engagement as follows:
“The rights-based inclusion of adolescents and youth in areas that affect their lives and their communities, including in dialogue, decisions, mechanisms, processes, events, campaigns, actions and programmes”
Evidence shows that when adolescent girls and boys are supported and encouraged by caring adults, along with policies and services attentive to their needs and capabilities, they have the potential to break long-standing cycles of poverty, discrimination and violence.
In Turkey, adolescents represent some of the country's greatest untapped sources for positive social change.
Still, opportunities for young people to participate in the decisions that affect their lives and the lives of their communities are often limited. The ongoing Syria crisis and other regional trends have created a massive influx of refugees and migrants. For some young migrants, conditions of poverty lead to child labour, and those living or working on the streets may be exposed to violence, abuse and exploitation.
The solution
UNICEF through its ADAP focus addresses the needs of adolescents and young people.
UNICEF Turkey has made great strides in reaching, supporting and collaborating with young people, aligning efforts with UNICEF’s increased global and regional commitment to working with and for young people. These collaborative approaches and outcomes for adolescent and youth engagement are defined under ‘Generation Unlimited’ – a new UNICEF-led global partnership for young people.
UNICEF supports Turkish and Syrian adolescent girls and boys to participate actively within their families, communities and wider society. We facilitate social cohesion and participation of young people by creating meaningful engagement opportunities between Turkish and refugee adolescents.