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Generationn Youth Yielding the Returns on Investments The Story of Success... Over the last years, and as the world community is their health and their opportunities have yielded. preparing for the 2015 review of the Millennium What you are about to discover are the faces, the Development Goals, launched in 2000, young stories and the lives of young Sri Lankans who people have been at the center of the international have excelled in their areas of interest and in their development discourse. Invest in Youth. Young passions. They have managed, through their spirit People bear the future of the generations to come. of entrepreneurship, combined with an enabling Unleash young people’s potential. Such phrases – albeit sometimes challenging – environment have become common among policy – and to demonstrate leadership. These young women decision-makers and make the headlines in social and men are leaders in their own right. UNFPA media and at various youth fora around the globe. is aware that the eight portraits are only some of the many successful examples of Sri Lankan What does this mean for Sri Lanka? At UNFPA, youth leadership. We believe that these young the United Nations Population Fund, and as our Sri Lankan women and men are heroes and role host government is welcoming the world’s youth models. We hope that they inspire you. to the World Conference on Youth in Colombo, we thought we would tell the story of Sri Lanka’s Alain Sibenaler youth. The aim of this booklet is to showcase Representative Sri Lanka what the investments over years in young people, United Nations Population Fund Sri Lanka Why Invest in Young People? In almost all countries in Southeast Asia, a a demographic dividend will not last forever. phenomenon called the demographic dividend During this period, the identification of the has had a positive impact on economic growth. socio-economic policy instruments that yield the The demographic dividend is the accelerated maximum out of the demographic dividend is a economic growth that may result from a decline priority. At the same time, this is a challenging in a country’s mortality and fertility and the task for any developing country and Sri Lanka is subsequent change in the age structure of the not an exception. population. The age structure transition in any country, after the lapse of a specific period of Changes in age structure occurred predominantly transitional process, will approach a demographic as a result of the changes in fertility and mortality. dividend phase and during that time the country Broad age categories of children, labour force and will have a high ratio of population in the elderly can have major implications for Sri Lanka’s working ages, in relation to the dependent age socio-economic development. Age structure categories, the aged and the children. This period changes are clearly reflected in the dependency is recognized as the “window of opportunity” ratios. Dependency ratio shows the number of suitable for an economic take-off, provided dependents in the child (<15 years) and in the old that the other factors such as political stability, (60 years and over) populations per 100 persons adequate savings and investment, human capital and an IT-based the knowledge economy exist. in the working ages. Child age dependency ratio Therefore, the main and first manifestation of shows the number of children (<15 years) per the demographic dividend is the change in the 100 persons in the working ages while old age population structure of a country. dependency ratio shows the number of aged persons (60 years and over) per 100 persons in the This demographic phenomenon has been a working ages. constantly debated topic among policy-makers, researchers and other stakeholders. However, Percentage distribution of broad population Dependency Ratios, 2001-2051, Sri Lanka groups, 2001 to 2051 % 70 100 90 60 80 50 70 60 40 50 30 40 20 30 20 10 10 0 0 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 2026 2031 2036 2041 2046 2051 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 2026 2031 2036 2041 2046 2051 Year Year % Children under 15 years Old age dependency % Elderly 60+ years Child dependency % Working ages 15-59 years The proportion of children under 15 years of In 2001, the total dependency ratio was 55.0 age is projected to decrease from 26.3 per cent which means that there are 55 dependent persons in 2001 to 14.9 per cent in 2051. The proportion for every 100 working age persons of which 41 of persons whose ages range from 15 to 59 will persons were child dependents while 14 were old change gradually, passing from 64.5 per cent in dependents. Child dependency has declined and 2001 to 56.2 per cent in 2051. The proportion of old dependency increased during the period 2001 persons aged 60 years or over is 9.2 percent in to 2051. As a result of the rapid growth in old age 2001 but by 2051, it will increase to 28.8 percent. dependency which out paces the decline in young dependency, total dependence of the population is shown that maternal mortality can be reduced expected to grow significantly from mid 2030s. in a country even prior to attaining high levels of economic development. Thus, Sri Lanka now has It is against the background of these demographic the lowest maternal mortality rate in South Asia at dimensions that Sri Lanka has successfully 38.6 per 100,000 live births (2009-2010). managed to invest in its youth by prioritizing investments in women, in health and in While maintaining these investments and education. Sustained and increased investment in applying the existing policies, several issues under sexual and reproductive health services promises reproductive health needs to be given attention to tremendous benefits to women, families and further capitalize on its positive health outcomes. societies. In addition to improved health, sexual These include, reducing preventable maternal and reproductive health services contribute to deaths, addressing the rising levels of teenage economic growth, societal and gender equity, and pregnancies, providing reproductive health care democratic governance. Sexual and reproductive for women beyond 49 years of age and tacking health services encompass three main areas: inequities in access to quality reproductive contraceptive services, maternal health services healthcare. and services related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS, and other gynacologic and urologic problems. Sri Lanka, with a free health care system has much to boast in the provision of reproductive health services. By applying the right policies and making the right investments to increase access to family planning, emergency obstetric care and skilled attendance at birth Sri Lanka has demographics and youth labour force labour participation participation >75 70-74 65-69 60-64 by sector 1971 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44 35-39 30-34 NATIONAL 25-29 Youth Labour 20-24 2006 2010 Participation 15-19 10-14 5-9 0-4 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >75 51 % 44% 70-74 65-69 60-64 1991 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44 35-39 30-34 25-29 Youth Labour 20-24 Participation 15-19 10-14 5-9 0-4 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >75 70-74 65-69 60-64 2011 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44 35-39 30-34 25-29 Youth Labour 20-24 Participation 15-19 unemployment rate 10-14 5-9 0-4 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >75 70-74 17% 15% 65-69 60-64 2026 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44 35-39 30-34 25-29 Youth Labour 20-24 Participation 15-19 10-14 5-9 0-4 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >75 70-74 65-69 60-64 2041 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44 35-39 30-34 25-29 Youth Labour 20-24 Participation 15-19 10-14 5-9 Unemployment is a percentage of the youth 0-4 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 labour force participation rate. Nimali Gunawardane Pursuing the Entrepreneurial Dream Failure did not stop Nimali Two steps forward, one step back Gunawardane’s persistence to find While I was at the garment factory, a friend success. It merely emboldened her. contacted me offering an investment plan for Hailing from Ambalantota, this a start-up in the coir industry. Coir is the fibre dynamic young woman personifies the derived from the outer husk of coconuts. It has quite a few uses. The idea was to start a coir mill. fighting spirit that makes a successful I found this very intriguing. entrepreneur. I borrowed money from friends and family to Stalling at the start start the mill. I had absolutely no experience in There were seven people in my family. It was business. My inexperience caused a loss of over difficult for us to afford basic living expenses. Rs. 300,000. This was a devastating financial loss. Consequently, a General Certificate of Education My parents derided my effort as a mere (Advanced Level) is the only formal qualification I was able to achieve. I sat the exams three times shot in the dark. In their eyes, I was a over three years. When I finally passed, my girl was attempting a man’s job.