Preventing the conflicts of tomorrow means changing the mindset of youth today.

Graca Machel (a Mozambican politician and humanitarian)

When children and young people make up most of the population, that nation has a youth bulge. Recent assessments indicate that young people under 30 comprise most of the world’s population. A country’s youth bulge may be both a benefit and a burden. Due to higher birth rates in their populations, developing nations are most commonly affected by this problem. The infant mortality rate has been greatly lowered thanks to developments in science and health, which has led to a steady rise in the population of children and young adults. This youthful population can be productive and contribute to the nation’s economy and growth, or it can burden a state if it is unemployed and unskilled.

The work market is being replaced by automation and technological innovation, which reduces the options for this youthful demographic and frustrates them. Without regard to boundaries, the youth bulge is a problem that may have beneficial or bad effects on surrounding nations and areas.

Pakistan has one of the youngest populations in the world, ranking among the top five nations. Young people under 30 make up 68% of its population. This enormous young population has the potential to be advantageous and help the nation advance in its social, political, and economic spheres. With so many young people, Pakistan has tremendous potential. However, the state is having trouble managing this large population. The growing young population is continually accumulating in Pakistan over the next few years. Since it is difficult for the government to give young people access to quality education and training, many remain unemployed, adding to the load on the government.

Pakistan has the highest percentage of youth unemployment in the South Asian region (11.3%), which indicates that a significant section of the young cannot contribute to the nation’s economic development. Young, illiterate, and unemployed individuals are like ticking time bombs that may be easily abused and drawn into criminal activity. The dissatisfaction caused by unemployment among young people causes a decline in both their productivity and mental health. Adolescents are more drawn to crime and extreme measures when not accustomed to participating in mainstream activities. This lack of chances has impacted both genders. Particularly, women make up the smallest share of the working labor force. Pakistan requires a million or more jobs annually to accommodate the millions of young people who reach working age yearly.

One of the main causes of the youth’s lack of prospects and employment is the nation’s economic inequality. This youth’s exclusion from all options is also a result of certain other issues, such as societal norms and cultural taboos. Young people are frequently prevented from exploring chances in other sectors against their choice since they are pressured by society and families to select specific careers like physicians and engineers.

The cultural concerns and their parents’ fears prevent females from pursuing a decent education.

The male-dominated society instills a sense of unease in the parents and pupils, which leads to limits being placed on women by society and parents, preventing many women from participating actively in society and the economy. Due to the conservative and tight environment, this trend worsens as we go from large cities to rural areas and small towns.

Additionally, more appropriate ways for these young people to address the government with their concerns and requests must be more appropriate. Due to this connectivity divide, government initiatives cannot address the younger population’s problems. These young people often engage in other activities and constantly feel the need to flee the nation when given insufficient possibilities. A large portion of young people is leaving Pakistan every year in quest of better possibilities.

To involve these young, the government of Pakistan has started several programs. One of the measures toward this goal was the Prime Minister’s Youth Program. Vocational training facilities have also been built to teach this young population a variety of skills.

The young force will greatly impact society once they join the working class. International investors have a chance to invest in Pakistan’s young.

To maintain population control and lessen the load on the population, the government should also educate people about family planning. This young generation has to be educated on contemporary skills and the needs of the global economy. They should know tomorrow’s chances in advance, so they may prepare themselves and avoid falling behind. As Franklin D. Roosevelt rightly said, “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”