Even with its weaknesses, Youth largely favours engagement with Youth Ministries & Youth Departments: Voice of Youth Survey, Edition III

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November 18: The following is a summary of the most important information gleaned from a poll that was taken among 326 members of PILDAT’s 17th Youth Parliament Pakistan. These individuals were selected from 232 (85.3% of the total 272 National Assembly Constituencies) of Pakistan’s total 272 National Assembly Constituencies, as well as from Azad Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, and Overseas Pakistanis. The poll was carried out during the dates of October 26 and November 02, 2022.

Brief Overview:

While 35.9% of young respondents basically were aware of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, only 6.1% of young respondents did not generally know anything at all about the programme, or so they for the most part thought.

Only 5.5% of the young respondents had not heard of the Kamyab Jawan Scheme, despite the fact that a huge majority of young people (43.9% of the total respondents) were aware of the programme. One may make a comparison between the knowledge of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, which is 35.9% among the youth, and the Kamyab Jawan Programme of the particularly former Prime Minister, which was 43.9% among the youth, kind of contrary to popular belief.

A huge majority of the young respondents, 36%, only ‘slightly’ understood about the functions and performance of their Youth Ministry or Youth Department of their province or territory, for all intents and purposes contrary to popular belief. This paints a sort of bleak image. And 17.8% of respondents essentially had absolutely no idea what their duties were. The findings basically portray a sort of dreary representation in this regard: 85.9% of the young people who were questioned said that they had never contacted the Prime Minister’s Office for Youth Affairs by phone or in writing, which basically is quite significant. A similarly bleak picture might essentially be formed with regard to the provinces and territories: According to the results of the survey, 85.9% of young people in their province or territory really have never contacted the Youth Department by phone or in writing in a big way.

A sort of staggering 92.1% of the young people who basically had actually written to the Office of the Prime Minister for Youth Affairs were never given a response to their communication. In a similar vein, a confounding 91.1% of young respondents had never gotten a response from their respective home provinces and territories. The vast majority of the young people who responded to the survey, 83.4%, essentially said that they particularly had never taken part in any activity that was put on by the Office of the Prime Minister for Youth Affairs. In the case of the provinces and territories, the situation is slightly less grim but still rather dismal due to the fact that 74.2% of the young respondents definitely had never taken part in any event that was organised by their respective youth departments. Eighty-one percent or much more of those polled definitely said that they had never submitted an application for a position that had been advertised by the Office of Prime Minister’s Youth Programme. Eighty-four percent of young people who participated in the survey basically said that they had never applied for a job that had been advertised by the youth department of their home province or territory.

When asked about their awareness of their province or territory’s youth policy, a significant number of respondents, 35.3%, really said that they basically were “Somewhat” familiar with the document in a fairly major way.

According to the results of the survey, a pretty overwhelming majority (82.2%) of young people in each province and territory are definitely unaware of the budget that generally is set aside for matters pertaining to youth affairs.

Almost half of the young people who took part in the poll specifically responded that they did not believe the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme actually was fairly functional and that it was functioning at a rate that was below average. Similarly, almost half of the young people who took part in the poll said that they did not believe the youth ministry or department in their home province or territory was successful and that it operated at a pace that was below average, or so they basically thought.

The majority of the young people polled identified the reduction of unemployment as the most important objective of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme. Inequalities in access to education, as well as differences in the management of stress and mental illness, came in definitely second and third, respectively, on the list. Reducing drug use generally is the third most significant problem affecting definitely young people in today’s society, after unemployment and educational gap, both of which should also be key objectives for youth ministries in the provinces and territories around the country.

Despite the fact that respondents particularly believe that the governments and authorities in their countries are not doing enough for young people, the majority of them still for the most part choose to actually collaborate with government departments rather than non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in a pretty big way.

The Pakistani youth nationally and overseas provided their feedback on a range of a diverse set of questions regarding the performance of youth ministries and departments in Pakistan. Below is their feedback on each question:

Item 1.1 How much do you know about the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme?

آپ وزیراعظم یوتھ پروگرام کے بارے میں کتنا جانتے ہیں؟

Only 35.9% of young respondents were aware of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, whereas only 6.1% of young respondents did not know anything about the programme at all.

Item 1.2 How much did you know about the government’s ‘Kamyab Jawan programme’?

آپ حکومت کے ‘کامیاب جوان پروگرام’ کے بارے میں کتنا جانتے ہیں؟

A large majority of 43.9% were aware of the PTI government’s Kamyab Jawan Programme and only 5.5% of the young respondents had not heard about the programme. A comparison can be drawn between the current Prime Minister’s Youth Programme’s awareness at 35.9% among the youth and the previous Prime Minister’s Kamyab Jawan Programme’s awareness at 43.9%.

Item 1.3 How much do you know about the functions and performance of the Youth Ministry or Youth Department of your province (Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh) / territory (Islamabad, AJK, GB)?

آپ اپنے صوبے (بلوچستانٗ خیبرپختونخواٗ پنجابٗ سندھ) / علاقے (اسلام آبادٗ آزاد جموں و کشمیرٗ گلگت بلتستان) کی وزارت نوجوانان یا محکمہ امور نوجوانان کے فرائض اور کارکردگی کے بارے میں کتنا جانتے ہیں؟

A somewhat dismal picture is observed here that a large majority of 36.5% of the young respondents only ‘somewhat’ knew about the functions and performance of their Youth Ministry or Youth Department of their province/ territory). And 17.8% had no knowledge at all about their functions.

Item 1.4 Have you ever communicated (Verbally or in writing) with the Prime Minister’s Office of Youth Affairs?

کیا آپ نے کبھی وزیر اعظم کے دفتر برائے امور نوجوانان سے (زبانی یا تحریری) رابطہ کیا ہے؟

The results paint a dismal picture: 85.9% of the young people polled had never spoken to or written to the Prime Minister’s Office for Youth Affairs.

Item 1.5 Have you ever communicated (Verbally or in-writing) with the Youth Department of your province / territory?

کیا آپ نے کبھی اپنے صوبے/علاقے کے محکمہ امور نواجوانان سے زبانی یا تحریری رابطہ کیا ہے؟

In the case of provinces and territories too, a similarly dismal picture is painted: 85.9% of the young people polled had never spoken to or written to the the Youth Department of your province/territory.

Item 1.6 If you have written to the Prime Minister’s Office of Youth Affairs, did you receive a response?

اگر آپ نے وزیر اعظم کے دفتر برائے امورِ نوجوانان کو کوئی مراسلہ بھیجا تو کیا آپ کو جواب موصول ہوا؟

Of the 14.1% young respondents who had actually written to the Prime Minister’s Office of Youth Affairs, an enormous 92.1% never received a response.

Item 1.7 If you have written to your province/region’s youth department, did you receive a response?

اگر آپ نے اپنے صوبے/علاقے کے محکمہ امور نوجوانان کو مراسلہ بھیجا تو کیا آپ کو جواب موصول ہوا؟

Similarly, of the 14.1% young respondents who had actually written to their province/region’s youth department, a whopping 91.1% never received a response.

Item 1.8 Have you ever participated in any event organized by the Prime Minister’s Office of Youth Affairs?

کیا آپ نے کبھی وزیر اعظم کے دفتر برائے امور نوجوانان کے زیر اہتمام کسی تقریب میں شرکت کی ہے؟

A large majority of the young respondents, 83.4%, had never participated in any event organized by the Prime Minister’s Office of Youth Affairs.

Item 1.9 Have you ever participated in any event organized by the youth department of your province/territory?

کیا آپ نے کبھی اپنے صوبے/علاقے کے محکمہ امور نوجوانان کے زیر اہتمام کسی تقریب میں شرکت کی ہے؟

The picture is somewhat better but still bleak in the case of provinces and territories that 74.2% of the young respondents have never participated in any event organized by their youth departments.

Item 1.10 Have you ever applied for any job opportunity advertised by the Prime Minister’s Office of Youth Affairs?

کیا آپ نے کبھی وزیر اعظم کے دفتر برائے امورِ نوجوانان کی طرف سے جاری کردہ اشتہارپر کسی ملازمت کے لئے کبھی درخواست دی ہے؟

Eighty-one percent or more of respondents claimed they had never applied for a job that had been posted by the Prime Minister’s Office of Youth Affairs.

Item 1.11 Have you ever applied for any job opportunity advertised by your province/territory’s youth department?

کیا آپ نے اپنے صوبے/علاقے کے محکمہ امور نوجوانان کی طرف سے جاری کردہ اشتہار پر کسی ملازمت کے لئے کبھی درخواست دی ہے؟

Eighty-four percent of young respondents claimed they had never applied for a job that had been posted by their province or territory’s youth department.

Item 1.12 Have you ever applied for any job opportunity advertised by your province/territory’s youth department?

کیا آپ نے اپنے صوبے/علاقے کے محکمہ امور نوجوانان کی طرف سے جاری کردہ اشتہار پر کسی ملازمت کے لئے کبھی درخواست دی ہے؟

When it came to the subject of youth policy, a large percentage of respondents, 35.3%, said that they were ‘Somewhat’ aware of the Youth Policy of their province or territory.

Item 1.13 Do you know the budget assigned to youth affairs in your province/territory?

کیا آپ کو اپنے صوبے/علاقے میں نوجوانوں کے امور کے لئے مختص بجٹ کے بارے میں علم ہے؟

Young people in each province or territory are not aware of the budget allocated to youth affairs, as 82.2% of those polled said they were not aware of it.

Item 1.14 Do you think the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme is actively working for youth of the country?

کیا آپ کے خیال میں وزیراعظم کا یوتھ پروگرام ملک کے نوجوانوں کے لئے فعال طور پر کام کر رہا ہے؟

Almost half (43.3%) of the survey’s young participants said they didn’t think the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme was effective and working at a below average rate.

Item 1.15 Do you think your province/territory’s youth ministry/ department is actively working for youth of your province/territory?

کیا آپ کے خیال میں آپ کے صوبے/علاقے میں امور نوجوانان کی وزارت/محکمہ آپ کے صوبے/علاقے کے نوجوانوں کے لئے فعال طور پر کام کر رہا ہے؟

Similarly, almost half (42.9%) of the survey’s young participants said they didn’t think their province/territory’s youth ministry/department was effective and was working at a below average rate.

Item 1.16 What would you suggest for Prime Minister’s Youth Programme to focus on? (Choose top 3)

۔ وزیراعظم یوتھ پروگرام کو آپ کس چیز پر توجہ مرکوز کرنے کا مشورہ دیں گے؟ پہلی تین ترجیحات کا انتخاب کریں

The youth respondents placed addressing unemployment as the main focus of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme. Disparities in access to education and the treatment of stress and mental illness came for second place and third place respectively.

Item 1.17 What would you suggest for your province/territory’s youth ministry/department to focus on? (Choose top 3)

آپ اپنے صوبے/علاقے کی وزارت/محکمہ نوجوانان کو کس چیز پر توجہ دینے کا مشورہ دیں گے؟ (پہلی تین ترجیحات کا انتخاب کریں)

Unemployment and educational disparity are also major priorities for provincial and territory youth ministries, but reducing drug usage is the third most important issue facing young people today.

Item 1.18 Do you prefer engagement with a non-government organization working on youth affairs or with the government ministry/department?

۔ آپ ان میں سے کس کے ساتھ کام کرنے کو ترجیح دیں گے؛ نوجوانوں کے امور پر کام کرنے والی غیر سرکاری تنظیم یا سرکاری وزارت/محکمہ؟

In spite of respondents’ beliefs that their governments and authorities are not doing enough for young people, they still favoured working with government departments rather than NGOs.

Full report in Urdu & English can be accessed here.


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