TACKLING POVERTY TOGETHER Youth Contributing to Poverty Reduction

Leaders Guide Three: Addressing Diverse Needs & Targeting Interventions

TACKLING POVERTY TOGETHER Youth Contributing to Poverty Reduction Using this Guide will help you and your organization to: Become more familiar with how youth issues are addressed (or not addressed) in PRSPs, including that of your own country; Understand the diverse needs of young people and how factors such as age, gender, income and location can help make poverty interventions more effective. Identify possible interventions that could help address the needs of young people in your country’s PRSP.

TACKLING POVERTY TOGETHER Youth Contributing to Poverty Reduction How are youth issues currently covered in PRSPs?

TACKLING POVERTY TOGETHER Youth Contributing to Poverty Reduction Do youth figure predominantly in the action plans and budgets of PRSPs?

TACKLING POVERTY TOGETHER Youth Contributing to Poverty Reduction Issues commonly associated with young people in PRSP

TACKLING POVERTY TOGETHER Youth Contributing to Poverty Reduction The diversity of young people Some PRSPs take youth poverty a step further by defining specific subgroups of the youth population that require tailored interventions. Young people’s needs vary according to age, gender, income level and location

TACKLING POVERTY TOGETHER Youth Contributing to Poverty Reduction e.g. Adolescent birth rates by background characteristics in 24 Sub-Saharan African countries ( ), number of births to women aged per 1,000 women.

TACKLING POVERTY TOGETHER Youth Contributing to Poverty Reduction Dialogue Questions Are you surprised at the information presented on the current coverage of youth issues in PRSPs? For example, the finding that only a third of PRSPs note having consulted young people, or that 11 out of 66 PRSPs treat youth development as a cross-cutting theme? Why do you think this is? Do you think different groups of young people have different needs? How might the needs of a 15- year-old girl differ from those of a 24-year-old woman? How about from a 15-year-old boy? What are some of the subgroups that you think exist among young people in your country? What may be some of their unique needs? The latest facts and figures discussed in this session suggest how education can be linked to many other aspects of a young person’s wellbeing, particularly for young women. Do you agree? Why? What are some of the steps you and your organization can take to make sure the diverse needs of young people are integrated into the work of the TPT network?

TACKLING POVERTY TOGETHER Youth Contributing to Poverty Reduction Some guidelines for developing interventions for youth include: Undertake a holistic approach to encompass a comprehensive view on young people’s lives, needs, and priorities; Take the diversity of young people into account; Strengthen the gender component taking into account different expectations, barriers, and opportunities faced by young females and males; Ensure appropriate youth participation in the design and implementation stages, including marginalized youth;

TACKLING POVERTY TOGETHER Youth Contributing to Poverty Reduction Involve parents, teachers and community leaders to ensure broader support; Address the needs of young people for privacy, opportunities to develop autonomy and capacity, and for guidance and support; Establish multi-sectoral partnerships to strengthen delivery and co-ordination; Foster a climate of acceptance and understanding among adults for the implementation and success of interventions for young people; Work in tandem with an integrated National Youth Policy in order to address all major issues concerning adolescents. Others?