Centre for Catalyzing Change (CCC)

Dr Aparajita Gogoi

Executive Director

India is dealing with the compounding effects of the demographic youth “bulge” with a disproportionate percentage of youth under the age of 25 years (30.7 %) (253 million young people)

Young People In India• This youth cohort represents a valuable window of opportunity to positively impact a new generation

of soon-to-be adults

• But a potential liability if this next generation is not provided with the skills, habits of mind, and opportunities to fully participate in the newly globalized world-33% of the disease burden and almost 60% of the premature deaths among adults can be associated with behavior or conditions that begin or occur during adolescence-for example use of alcohol and drugs, poor eating habits, sexual abuse and risky sexual behavior

For 113 million are adolescent girls-the story is different

• Female illiteracy - 41% of women with no education

• High gender gap in literacy - 22% women have completed 10 years of schooling

• Low status of women – only 50% of women participate in household decision making

• Early marriage and child bearing – 47% of girls are married before 18 years with substantial proportion begin childbearing in first year of marriage.

• Alarming rate of maternal death - a woman dies every 10 minutes due to pregnancy related complications

• Over 50% experience domestic violence

• Sex Ratio 917/1000 males

Youth and Technology

• Over the past decade technology has become a driving force in the lives of people across the world

• What do most young people look for when they wake up?

• Cell phones !!

• Is this unprecedented, near-immeasurable surge in non face-to-face communication changing our teenagers and diminishing their ability to conduct more traditional relationships, turning them into screen-enslaved, socially challenged adults?

Source: DigitalQatar

• The Internet is a great equalizer

• At the same time internet can be a distracting and dangerous place

• We need to recognize not only technology's promise, but also the orders-of-magnitude power it has in the hands of young people

From Digital Divide to Digital Inclusion

• With that much importance placed on technology, what happens when some gain access to it and others do not?

• A new divide -- the "digital divide"

• We believe technology has a vital role to play in empowering young people and the successful marriage of education and technology has the potential to increase efficiency, provide access to new markets or services, create new opportunities for income generation and give young people a voice

• Technology “infused” experiences of working with young people, beyond access and simple application of tools to creative experimentation and innovation

– Skilling and Employability

– Health and Education

We hope that by end of the day today-

• We will learn about good practices around use of technology with young people

• That we take steps towards creation of a platform that allows these to reach newer audiences and areas with limited barriers

• Build a foundation for ongoing networking, learning and community wide resource sharing on young people