Youth-led Action in South Asia
Learn more about the exciting work being done across the region
South Asia has the largest population of young people in the world, with 30% of the world's total number of adolescents (340 million) calling South Asia home. This demographic dividend holds tremendous potential to drive economic and social development. However, South Asia faces significant skilling and employment challenges caused by insufficient resources and investments, poor quality, high drop-out rates in education, changing demographics, conflict and recurring disasters, rapid urbanization and new technology that alters labor markets.
Millions of young people are not in school, employment or training (NEET), disproportionally affecting girls. Over 30% of youth are not in school, employment nor training (NEET), 49% being female youth.
Ingrained social norms continue to propagate gender inequality and marginalization of young people. Access to safe spaces for young people to meet, learn and develop remain meagre across the region and opportunities for meaningful and equitable civic engagement and participation leaving them with feelings of hopelessness. Unequal access to learning and skills, unemployment (particularly for females), female participation on issues affecting their lives, child marriage (affecting girls), including early pregnancy and subsequent social isolation remain a serious concern.
The region is highly vulnerable to climate risks. Women, children, and young people– especially girls – are disproportionately affected by climate-related hazards, forced displacement, sexual exploitation, and WASH-related vulnerabilities.
Young people with disabilities may need special adjustments to help them contend with practical and physical difficulties, which require education and training systems, and employers, to provide more flexible learning and work arrangements. This may not always be the case in the region, where the stigma and norms around disability remain particularly entrenched.
South Asia has great potential for young people's democratic participation, as in most countries, there is an enabling civic space. Evidence from this region shows that girls’ and boys’ equal participation in defining the priorities of local governments not only fulfils their right to participation; it can shift the focus to the needs of young people, such as protection, safety, learning, and job opportunities.
Did you know? There are over 350 million young people like you living in South Asia. Imagine what the region could look like if every young person was supported and empowered to fulfil their potential. Let’s work together to make that a reality!
For UNICEF in South Asia, it’s about young people in action: action to improve the environment; action to improve their skills and learning; action to improve their livelihoods and employability; action to improve their own wellbeing and action to improve their communities and countries. Voice and agency must go hand in hand. Through a more enabling environment, vulnerable young people are supported with opportunities for skills activation and civic engagement for positive social change, development, employability, inclusion, empowerment, and gender equity.
The Youth-led Action Initiative in South Asia
In September 2024, the Regional Office of South Asia, in collaboration with the Adolescent Development and Participation HQ team, launched the UNICEF Youth-led Action Initiative roll-out in South Asia. The first major activity was a 5-day in-person Training of Trainers held in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 2-6 September.
This training equipped young changemakers from across South Asia, along with participants from Indonesia, to strengthen their advocacy efforts and drive meaningful change in their communities. A total of 41 young changemakers, including 2 persons with disabilities from Nepal and Bhutan were trained as youth advocacy trainers to on the Youth-led Action Model, as well as facilitation skills who continue to train over 1600 young people in their networks from October 2024 to March 2025. Young advocates trained through the cascade model will then go on to impact members of their community through their advocacy projects (Jan-Sep 2025). To support the young people in their cascades and advocacy projects, 8 UNICEF Country Office staff members from seven countries attended the ToT training fully as participants.