Growing up Urban

GROWING UP URBAN state of world population 2007 youth supplement State of world population 2007 youth S u p p l e m e n t growing up urban: introduction GROWING UP URBAN state of world population 2007 Youth Supplement State of world population 2007 youth S u p p l e m e n t Editorial Team contents The State of World Population 2007 Youth Supplement Life Stories: martin caparros Context: dr. laura laski/Saskia Schellekens Final Editing: alex marshall/amy Singer Research Assistance: anjali Kaur preface iii Administrative Assistance: introduction iv wioleta pienkowska/malak Khatib-maleh/Sandra barron Bing Escaping rural poverty, earning a living in the city — tianJin, china 1 Acknowledgements Sincere gratitude goes to the numerous UNFPA Geeta from pavement dweller to community mobilizer — mumbai, india 7 colleagues in country offices and UNFPA headquarters, as well as UNFPA partners for their inputs provided Reham an eScape from urban violence — cairo, egypt 13 and information shared, with particular appreciation for country offices and UNFPA partners in bangladesh, FORMER gang member findS it hard TO adJuSt 19 brazil, china, egypt, el Salvador, india, Senegal and Freddy — San Salvador, el Salvador argentina that assisted in the facilitation of the interviews fighting againSt SeXUAL violence: helping girlS protect their health of the young people portrayed in this publication. Maty 25 — rufiSque, daKar metropolitan region, Senegal Special appreciation goes to martin caparros for Shimu FLEEING FROM CHILD MARRIAGE, FINDING FREEDOM IN THE CITY — dhaKa, bangladeSh 31 the moving, evocative reports he contributed from around the world, to rogelio fernandez-castilla for Angelo finding the right beat: a matter of urban Survival — rio de Janeiro, brazil 37 his indispensable inputs and guidance, to george martine and lydia leon for the collaboration to ensure alignment with the 2007 State of world population conclusion 42 report, to the members of UNFPA’s global youth endnotes 47 advisory panel for their inputs and support, to m&m for their valuable editorial comments and to bing, reham, geeta, freddy, maty, Shimu and angelo for sharing with us their life stories. ii growing up urban:content S and preface Growing UP urban preface This is the second edition of the Youth new investments to create jobs and economic as urbanites involved in music and culture to Supplement to UNFPA’s State of World vitality; and providing health services, including escape from urban poverty and insecurity, and Population Report. The 007 Report focuses on sexual and reproductive health, so that young to celebrate their lives. urbanization; the Youth Supplement addresses people can live fulfilling lives and make The State of World Population Report the challenges and promises of urbanization as their own decisions on marriage and family points out that the urban wave of the 21st they affect young people. formation. century presents an opportunity to enhance In 2008, for the first time, more than half The Youth Supplement profiles the lives development and promote sustainability; if the of the world’s population will live in urban of young men and women from seven cities opportunity is missed, the urban wave could areas. By 00, towns and cities will be home to – Tianjin, China; San Salvador, El Salvador; deepen poverty and accelerate environmental almost 5 billion people. The urban population Mumbai, India; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Cairo, degradation. This Youth Supplement is a voice of Africa and Asia will double in less than a Egypt; Rufisque, Senegal; and Rio de Janeiro, on behalf of the right of young people in the generation. Brazil. Their stories give a sense of the lives of world’s cities to lives of opportunity, free of This will greatly increase the number and young women and men and the opportunities, poverty, violence, and abuse. proportion of young people in the urban pressures, and risks of modern urban living: population. Most will be born into poor as migrants who have left the countryside families, where fertility tends to be higher. to work and make their home in the cities; The wave of urban population growth calls as community organizers fighting for better for policymakers to consult young people and housing and services in the margins of cities; reflect on their needs, both to realize individual as victims of sexual abuse and violence; potential and to stimulate urban economies. sometimes even as perpetrators of violence The challenges will include increasing the themselves; as young women freed from number and quality of schools; attracting traditional gender roles and discrimination; and State of world population 2007 youth S u p p l e m e n t iii introduction The world is undergoing the largest wave from poor families will be a big part of the Urban centres attract economic of urban growth in its history. The billion urban wave. The future of cities depends on investments, and offer a high concentration population of towns and cities in 005 will what cities do now to help them, in particular of jobs and public services. Political power increase by .8 billion by 00. The urban to exercise their rights to education, health, is concentrated in national, state or district population of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa employment, and civic participation. capitals, and secondary schools, higher will double in less than a generation. Investment in young people is the key to education institutions, and health care The fastest growth will be in the poorer ending generations of poverty. In particular centres are better and more accessible in urban areas. For example, the slum it is the key to reaching the Millennium urban areas. The high disparity in the rates population of Dhaka has more than doubled Development Goals and halving poverty by of school attendance among urban and rural in a decade, from .5 million in 996 to .4 05. youth illustrates the “urban advantage”: rural million in 006. boys’ and girls’ school attendance rates are, Most urban growth comes from natural Young People in the Cities Today respectively 6 and 8 per cent lower than increase (more births than deaths). The urban Most urban young people were born in the their urban counterparts’. poor have higher fertility rates than other cities. Others arrive on packed buses or urbanites: women have less education and trains, bringing with them few possessions, A vanishing dream? less autonomy; they know little about sexual great expectations, and an eagerness to At the beginning of the 21st century, and reproductive health services, and have engage fully in a better life. They come with the best recipe for a life without poverty little access to them. Rural-urban migration the hope of a good education, adequate is still to grow up urban; but young also contributes to urban growth. health services, and a society with plenty of people’s dream of moving beyond their Young people under 5 already make up jobs to choose from: a plan for escaping the parents’ poverty is quickly vanishing. half the urban population and young people poverty in which their parents are trapped. Although cities offer better jobs, housing, iv growing up urban:introduction Growing UP urban education, health care, and opportunities of the population is connected to sewers, and experimenters: they are regularly are unevenly distributed. Most people and many have no sewers at all. Many young reminded of their unequal state and lack of in the poorest countries, including the women and men grow up resenting their opportunities – luxury cars in the streets; young, have little access to the amenities exclusion from the promise of city life. smart houses in safe neighbourhoods; of urban life. Extreme poverty, family conflict, violence opulent lifestyles in the mass media and on Although school attendance is higher in and neglect, alcoholism or drug abuse in the the Internet. Exclusion and frustration can cities than in rural areas, many young people home, or the illness and death of parents, lead to crime and violence. in poor areas, especially girls, never start school, may drive young people to live on their own. In Many young women leave their villages to or drop out before finishing secondary level. some countries a high proportion of urban avoid marrying young or dropping out of In urban centres, young people are faced adolescents do not live with their parents, for school early. But slum life can be particularly with higher unemployment rates than adults; instance 0 per cent of Ethiopian girls aged dangerous for young women. Pervasive gender work is more likely to be in the unregulated 0 to 4.6 In Benin 4. per cent of a sample discrimination puts them at risk of sexual “informal sector” where they are often of children up to age 4 in urban areas lived exploitation and violence. Poverty may force exposed to abuse and exploitation. with neither parent, though both were alive, them to work long hours in unsafe and Housing for the urban poor is most likely to compared with 8.9 per cent of rural children. distant places, returning home alone on dark be in slums – crowded homes and poorly-built Some children live in the streets. and dangerous streets. Having no knowledge neighbourhoods with little or no infrastructure For young people brought up in poverty or power to protect themselves, and poor like paved roads, electricity, gas, piped water with low-quality education, health care health services, they are at increased risk of or sanitation. In some cities this applies to and housing, and few prospects for unwanted pregnancy, and childbirth without more than half the population.4 In most steady work, things can go very wrong. skilled care. Many teenage mothers have no African cities, for instance, only ten per cent Young people are often the risk takers support from their families or the fathers State of world population 2007 youth S u p p l e m e n t v of their children.

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