UNICEF NEPAL ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT AND PARTICIPATION (ADAP) BASELINE STUDY FINAL REPORT UNICEF NEPAL ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT AND PARTICIPATION (ADAP) BASELINE STUDY FINAL REPORT SAJEDA AMIN ASHISH BAJRACHARYA MICHELLE CHAU MAHESH PURI NOVEMBER 2014 UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. We are guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strive to establish children’s rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children. Through our country programmes, we work to promote the equal rights of women and girls and to support their full participation in the political, social, and economic development of their communities. The Population Council confronts critical health and development issues—from stopping the spread of HIV to improving reproductive health and ensuring that young people lead full and productive lives. Through biomedical, social science, and public health research in 50 countries, we work with our partners to deliver solutions that lead to more effective policies, programs, and technologies that improve lives around the world. Established in 1952 and headquartered in New York, the Council is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization governed by an international board of trustees. Sajeda Amin is Senior Associate and Ashish Bajracharya is Associate at the Population Council. At time this report was written, Michelle Chau was Data Analyst at the Population Council. Mahesh Puri is Associate Director at CREHPA. Suggested citation: Amin, S., Bajracharya, A., Chau, M., Puri, M. 2014. “UNICEF Nepal Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP) Baseline Study: Final report.” New York: Population Council. Population Council One Dag Hammarskjold Plaza New York, NY 10017 USA popcouncil.org Cover photo: UNICEF Nepal. © 2014 The Population Council, Inc. Any part of this publication may be copied or adapted to meet local needs without permission, provided that the parts copied are distributed free or at cost (not for profit) and that the source is identified. We would appreciate receiving a copy of any materials in which the text is used. Table of Contents Acknowledgments ...........................................................................iv Foreword ..........................................................................................v List of Abbreviations ........................................................................vi Executive Summary ........................................................................ vii Introduction ..................................................................................... 1 Methodology ................................................................................... 9 Background Characteristics ............................................................11 Education and Skills ........................................................................15 Livelihoods and Financial Literacy ................................................. 21 Enabling and Protective Environment ............................................ 27 Gender Norms and Gender Equity ................................................ 35 Health and Healthy Behavior ......................................................... 41 Civic Engagement and Participation of Adolescents ..................... 51 Future Directions for ADAP ............................................................ 55 References .................................................................................... 58 Appendix 1: Methodology ............................................................. 61 Appendix 2: Caste/ethnic groups ................................................... 67 Appendix 3: Study team members of CREHPA and Yuwalaya ....... 68 iv Acknowledgments This report is the result of collaboration among Data collection efforts of both CREHPA and the Population Council, the Center for Research Yuwalaya would not have been possible without on Environment Health and Population Activities the district-level contacts who aided our research (CREHPA), and Yuwalaya. UNICEF Nepal’s teams in coordinating data collection activities. Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP) These include UNICEF regional officers, child rights program commissioned this research under the officers, officers at the District Child Welfare Board, leadership of Nafisa Binte Shafique, Chief of the and district coordinators for youth networks. ADAP Section in Nepal. Key members of the UNICEF team included Jaya Burathoki and Pragya We are also indebted to anonymous reviewers Shah Karki. The research team at CREHPA was at the Nepal Health Research Council and the led by Dr. Mahesh Puri, Associate Director, who Population Council Institutional Review Boards who led the adolescent household survey team as reviewed and approved this project and provided study coordinator. Yuwalaya, which conducted ethical clearance. Thanks are also due to the Social participatory research with adolescents, was led by Welfare Council for their approval of this research. Subash Neupane, President, and Chetana Tulachan. A warm thanks also goes to Population Council The report benefited from the contributions of many colleagues who made important contributions to individuals and institutions who made this research this study and report. The Poverty, Gender, and possible. The research team would like to extend Youth finance team managed the study funding, their sincere thanks to all those who provided their sub-awards, and vendor payments. We would like expertise, hard work, and energy. to extend our thanks especially to Barry Ravitch, Mary Elmoor, Jessica McBride, and Elizabeth We wish to thank the field and data management Cottrell. The Publishing and Creative Services team teams of CREHPA for their work on the adolescent (Michael Vosika, Christina Tse, and Sura Rosenthal, household survey and semi-structured key in particular) designed the report and coordinated informant interviews. In particular, Shophika Regmi layout and proofreading. and Deepak Joshi for their work as research officers and field supervisors Badri Dulal, Lochan Bhattarai, Finally, a special thank you goes to the adolescent Achala Shrestha, Zinita Dhakal, Kamala Karki, girls and boys in 15 districts who shared their Umesh Giri, Sushma Sharma, and Dhurba Dhital. experiences and perspectives with us through Special thanks go to the 36-member data collection participation in the household surveys and group team at CREHPA that spent over a month in the exercises, without whom this study would not have field in some of the most remote regions of Nepal. been possible. Special thanks are also due to the Yuwalaya team for organizing and leading the adolescent participatory exercise. We are grateful to the group facilitators and rapporteurs. v Foreword Nepal is home to 6.4 million adolescents aged The Adolescent Development and Participation 10-19, and one in four residents of Nepal is an (ADAP) Baseline Survey is our endeavor to inform adolescent. Adolescence is a time of transition the design and implementation of an evidence- and exploration. Adolescents experience the most based program for adolescents. The survey is dramatic growth in their body and mind and also the the first comprehensive study on the lives of development of their identity. Today’s adolescents adolescents in 15 districts with high levels of in Nepal face complex challenges posed by rapid child deprivation where UNICEF is focusing its urbanization, the lack of protective environments, intervention. The ADAP Baseline Survey is aligned and harmful social norms deep-rooted in society. with the National Plan of Action for Holistic Experiences and opportunities during adolescence Development of Adolescents launched in 2013, and determine whether they will develop into highlights the socio-cultural and behavioral aspects responsible, independent, and active members of adolescents in the six domains: 1) Education of society. and Skills; 2) Livelihood, Employment and Financial Literacy; 3) Enabling and Protective Environment; UNICEF recognizes adolescence as an age of 4) Gender Equity and Social Inclusion; 5) Health opportunity for children and is committed to and Healthy Behavior; and 6) Participation and Civic work for the empowerment and protection of Engagement. The findings of the ADAP Baseline adolescents, especially girls, from excluded Survey are invaluable and instrumental in planning and disadvantaged communities. Investing in well-targeted interventions for adolescents in the adolescents is the most effective way to fight most marginalized districts. against poverty and inequality, address harmful social norms and practices, and achieve social I would like to extend appreciation to the Population and economic development in society. We need Council New York and their partners for designing a stronger focus on the second decade of life to and carrying out such a participatory study with, for, build on to the achievements attained for young and by adolescents. Voices of 3,000 adolescents children since 1990. A probability of a child dying engaged in the survey will provide the Government before his or her fifth birthday has been reduced by of Nepal, development partners, civil society more than 66% since 1990. Gender gaps in primary organizations, and young leaders with in-depth school enrollment have been nearly