Adolescence Age of opportunity

UNICEF published a report on the state of the world’s children 2011.  The arguments for investing in adolescence are fivefold. It is right in principle under existing human rights treaties including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which applies to around 80 per cent of adolescents, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which applies to all adolescent females. Investing in adolescence is the most effective way to consolidate the historic global gains achieved in early and middle childhood since 1990. The 33 per cent reduction in the global under-five mortality rate, the near elimination of gender gaps in primary school enrolment in several developing regions and the considerable gains achieved in improving access to primary schooling, safe water and critical medicines such as routine immunizations and antiretroviral drugs – all are testament to the tremendous recent progress achieved for children in early and middle childhood. Investing in adolescents can accelerate the fight against poverty, inequity and gender discrimination. Adolescence is the pivotal decade when poverty and inequity often pass to the next generation as poor adolescent girls give birth to impoverished children.

The report is available at :

http://www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Publication-pdfs/sowc2011.pdf