Being young is not easy. Not for our grandparents, not for our parents, and clearly not for our generation. The question that arises is: why has the state of being young not easy despite which generation individuals are born? There is this feeling that being a young individual regardless from where someone comes always brings injustice, frustration, and uncertainty.
While being a young woman I remember asking myself why young individuals were not asked about their opinions, as if they should agree with everything that adults were saying (parents, teachers), and as if the youth did not have the ability to think for themselves. Maybe because I could listen to politicians debating about the next generations, or about public policies that would involve the next generations, most of them are not bothered about asking what the next generations thinks on the matter. Perhaps young individuals were not asked about their dreams or hopes or even what they would like to be when they grow older or even where would they like to work.
Whats more, when I was a child, I remember telling myself how lucky I was to be able to study or actually to choose what I wanted to study. When I think lately the reason behind this thought, I can clearly see that it was because my grandmother could not attend University and pursue her dream to become a teacher. This is one of the many stories that unfortunately were happening at that time of history.
But as time passes, some things seems as if they have not changed (or at least completely changed). For example, more than 175 million children - about half of the world's preschool children - are not enrolled in pre-school education, missing a critical opportunity, and suffering profound inequalities from the beginning of their lives (UNICEF; 2020). In what regards gender discrimination, it can be said that worldwide, 80% of adult women can read, but that compares with almost 89% of men, while in less developed countries, only 51% of women can read and write (UN Woman; 2019). Some of the reasons that undermines women's prospects for an education are: early marriage and domestic work that lead many girls and young women to drop out of school; sexual harassment in public spaces can confine them to their homes; and limits the fields of study that marginalizes women in science (only 30% of the world's science researchers are women).
Under this paradigm, we should have in mind the year 1999, as it was the year when the General Assembly of the United Nations designed the 12th of August as the International Youth Day. Under the numbers, it was clear that a day needed to be set aside and actions taken. Some of the actions that have been taken to eradicate this problem and gap are: creation of more educational facilities (school, kindergartners and universities), proper teacher training; creation of awareness in communities of the importance of educating their children, giving incentives from the State to the families that take their children to school, providing meals for children at school and creating special programs for young girls with regards to sciences and exact degrees (mathematicians, engineers, between others).
It should never be forgotten that there was a time (and there are still circumstances) when young potential leaders could not choose what they wanted to study or where to work, where freedom was a privilege that not every young individual could enjoy. Some of these reasons were because of their gender, place of birth, religion, colour of their skins, ideology and others. These factors could determine the future of an individual, depriving him for his right to choose for himself in what concerns his life and the freedom to be who he or she wants to be. As well, it should never be overlooked that for some individuals, this scenario is still a reality.
The 12th of August is an invitation to remember all the barriers that humanity has been able to overcome with regards to youth's rights but as well, there is more to be done. It should never be ignored that the youth is expected to change and shape tomorrow’s reality. There is an obligation as a society to give these young individuals the tools to emancipate them, to make them able to think for themselves, to explore, to questioned the status quo, to wonder, so they can develop a critical way of thinking, where humanity will win with this curious, outstanding minds. These types of leaders are the ones that will make a brighter tomorrow. As a wise man once said: “The youth is the hope of the future” (Jose Rizal, 2015).
Ximena B. Solar Grillo
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