Than half of the population is below the age of 25.

Regional Overview: Youth in the Arab Region

• One out of every five persons in the Arab Region is between 15-24 years old and more

than half of the population is below the age of 25.

• Each year, over 500,000 people enter the labour market in the ESCWA region, most (90%) are youthⁱ

• Arab countries have the highest regional youth unemployment rate in the world, particularly affecting young Arab femalesⁱⁱ

• Only half of the Arab youth has knowledge about sexually transmitted diseasesⁱⁱⁱ

• Youth are almost entirely excluded from participation within parliaments in more than half of the Arab countries, reaching a low of 7%^iv

The Arab region has witnessed marked socioeconomic improvements, despite having been subject to persistent poverty, unemployment and armed conflicts. A current challenge is presented by the unprecedented ‘youth bulge,’ which is a term used to describe how the proportion of Arab youth (aged 15-24 years) is increasing significantly in comparison to other age groups. That increase, combined with overall Arab population pressures, has resulted in the most rapid youth population growth in the region’s history. Given this trend, it is important to establish a development agenda that firmly recognizes Arab youth rights and aspirations. Doing so can advance economic growth, social inclusion, and political

stability in the region.

Out of 22 countries in the region, only 9 have either developed youth policies or are in the process of formulating them. Nevertheless, recent unrest in the region has presented a compelling rationale for governments to bring youth issues firmly into the focus of the national agenda. Policymakers have increasingly recognized the need to formulate national youth policies and action plans, aimed not only at fostering youth human capital development, but also at providing them with the necessary opportunities to reach their full potentials in education, health, employment, and participation in public and political life.

United Nations entities have long been involved in working on youth-related issues in the Arab region. Recognizing the importance of youth initiatives, they work hard to improve the conditions of young Arabs by assisting Member States in achieving development goals. Their works includes but is not limited to: advocacy, promoting national youth policies, strengthening youth participation, and coordinating mechanisms with Member States in order to ensure better outcomes.

Issues and challenges facing youth in the region:

Education

Over the past two decades, remarkable progress was achieved in the region in all educational indicators. Unfortunately however, significant problems do linger: high illiteracy rates among youth (reaching 16.6%), student dropouts from primary education, low enrolment of girls in comparison to boys, deterioration of education quality, and a general mismatch between education curricula and the labour market’s skill demands.

Sharp disparities in education exist within the Arab region. When comparing western Asia to northern Africa, girls are three times more likely to be deprived of education than boys.^v At the time of a 2005 study, nearly one third of children of the primary school age who were out of school were from least developed Arab countries.^vi

Interestingly however, education enrollment in tertiary education within the region favors women. This could possibly be attributable to their low economic activity rates and higher admission exam scores, or to the fact that young women are less likely than their male counterparts to drop out to join the labor force or to study abroad.^vii Nevertheless, university education is generally limited in Arab countries when compared to other regions of the world. Despite the fact that the number of students enrolled in higher education doubled between 1998 and 2008, when adjusting those figures for population increase within the 18-24 age group, the gross enrolment ratio improvement was not considerable, rising only from 18% to 22% across Arab countries.^viii

It is only recently that special attention has been given to improving technical and vocational training in the region. And even still, additional efforts are required to help fill in gaps in the labor market, such as the enhancement of accreditation and certification systems, and the enhancement of ICT-related programs.

Employment

Together, Arab countries have the highest regional youth unemployment rate seen anywhere in the world. Youth unemployment rose over the last decade, and this trend particularly affected young Arab females. In 2009, more than 20% of the youth labour force in the region was unable to find a job, which constituted more than half of the total unemployment.

While they do share many similarities, there are some key differences that stand out between countries of the region. Arab countries’ national youth unemployment rates vary considerably: the 6.3% rate in the United Arab Emirates stands in stark contrast to the 38.9% seen in Jordan. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (considered to be net labour importers) seek to ensure that their young nationals are encouraged to enter the private sector to find jobs that match their skill sets and pay acceptable wages, as opposed to having them rely on Governments to guarantee permanent employment in the public sector. On the other hand, the remaining Arab countries tend to be labour exporters, and as such, they confront the challenge of creating jobs to absorb the increasing number of young people eligible for entrance into the labour force.

Young Arab women are confronted with a double burden: their age and their gender. In Arab countries, the conflation of these two factors has resulted in the highest regional gender gap in terms of unemployment, due to profound cultural, social and economic gender divisions. Studies indicate that only 30% of women of working age participate in the labor market, and those who do find work are limited to low–paying jobs in the private sector, whether formal or informal. Though labor laws in some Arab countries do not explicitly discriminate against women, family laws and regulations intended to concede to women’s special needs, including maternity leave and limits on working hours frequently discourage employers from hiring women.

Health

A statistical snapshot of youth employment issues in the Arab Region:

• There was 20% youth unemployment in 2009, more than half of the region's total

• Unemployment dips as low as 6.3% in

the UAE, and rises as high as 38.9% in Jordan

•Only 30% of working-age womenparticipate in the labor force in the Arab region as a whole

Despite significant progress in health over the past decades, Arab youth still suffer, to varying degrees, from inadequate health provision and poor access to health facilities. This is especially true for young women, youth in rural areas, and youth with disabilities. In least developed Arab countries standards and quality of health services are inadequate, which is particularly relevant for Arab countries experiencing security concerns and armed conflicts.

Young people suffer from a lack of easy access to health information, particularly regarding sexual and reproductive issues. Only half of the Arab youth has knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases.^xiv Is-sues related to unwanted pregnancies, HIV infection and AIDS, as well as female genital mutilations re-main taboo in cultures that continue to be reluctant to discuss such concerns openly. Even though the Arab region is the world’s least afflicted with HIV/AIDS, with a 0.3 per cent incidence rate among adults in 2004,^xv there has still been an increase in the incidence of HIV/AIDS, with data tending to be underestimated.

Many young Arabs are vulnerable to risky behavior related to substance abuse, smoking, unhealthy nutri-tional consumption, and reckless driving. The rate of smoking amongst young males is increasing, with rates reaching as high as 37% in Algeria, while the incidence of smoking amongst young females has dipped as low as 0.3% in Egypt.^xvi In any event, such patterns of risky behavior have led to excess mor-bidity and mortality in the region.

Recent Improvements in Regional Health Indicators:

• The Arab Region has the lowest incidence of HIV/AIDS of any world region (0.3% among adults)

• The maternal mortality rate fell some 34% between 1990 and 2000

• The infant mortality rate fell from 30 to 26 deaths per 1,000 live births between 2005 and 2009

• Overall regional life expectancy increased by two years over the course of the decade between 1990 and 2000, from 69 to 71 years.

Participation

Gender disparities also manifest themselves on the health front, despite real improvements in Arab wo-men’s health. The maternal mortality rate in the Ar-ab region fell to about 272 per 100,000 live births in 2000, a decrease of almost 34% from its 1990 level. Nevertheless, young women living in rural areas are particularly exposed to reproductive health issues. Many of them still marry at an early age and give birth to a large number of children, without spacing pregnancies out. Early pregnancy and inappropriate child-spacing contribute to poor infant health and nutrition, thus increasing the risk of early death. Infant mortality rates, however, saw a decrease even during the short period between 2005 and 2009, falling from 30 to 26 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Given the recent protests and civil unrest in numerous countries of the region (e.g. Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya and Syria), it is important not to overlook Arab youth aspiration for participation in the decision-making process. More than ever before, young Arab men and women are aware of the importance of participation and its relevance for them, their societies and their future. However, entrenched institutional arrangements, dated governing procedures, and inadequate evaluation and accountability mechanisms have to date contributed to limited youth participation in decision-making

processes.

Youth are almost entirely excluded from participation within the parliaments of more than half of the Arab countries, reaching a low of 7% in the parliaments of Bahrain and Lebanon. Furthermore, only 4 countries (Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia and Yemen) have established specialized youth-related legislative committees.^xvii The majority of countries of the region tends to address youth issues by proxy, through committees on sport, culture or family affairs.

Perhaps not surprisingly then, the potentials and innovative ideas of young Arab men and women are often under-employed by duty bearers throughout the region. Youth participation in boards of directors, for example, is limited and is often based solely upon appointment and selection. Moreover, they tend to participate in activities that are not commensurate with their experience and skills. And, as a result, they often experience feelings of frustration and social exclusion, which may help to explain recent attempts by Arab youth to induce change.

Nevertheless, many Arab States have recently refocused their efforts on youth issues. They have begun to recognize that this important part of the population should not only be though of as beneficiaries, but also as active agents of economic, social and political transformations. With new, youth-led and youth-oriented civil society organizations flourishing, and more young people utilizing information and communication technologies, Arab youth are now more able to voice opinions, address existing inequalities, and shape community priorities.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 430