Youth, Difference and the Right to Education: Challenges and Opportunities in Reducing Vulnerability...

Youth, Difference and the Right to Youth, Difference and the Right to Education: Challenges and Opportunities in Education: Challenges and Opportunities in Reducing Vulnerability of Young People.Reducing Vulnerability of Young People.

Robert CarrRobert CarrAssociate Director of Policy and Advocacy - ICASOAssociate Director of Policy and Advocacy - ICASO

International Council of AIDS Service OrganizationsInternational Council of AIDS Service Organizations

International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)

Data Roots Policy Conflicts Stigma Social Exclusion Solutions

Global percentage of young people who have first sex before age 15, by sex

4.6

5

10

15

20

01998-2002 2003-2007

Year

%

Male Female

Source: Measure DHS. International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)

RussiaRussia


75 percent of new HIV infections by the end of 2007, were among young people aged 15 – 30.

66.2 percent of young women and men aged 15 – 24 could not correctly identify ways of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV and reject major misconceptions about HIV transmission.

CaribbeanCaribbean

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Age Group

Nu

mb

er o

f C

ases

Male

Female

Male 68 143 48 25 676 1260 759 431 162 64

Female 60 129 31 70 616 805 397 174 82 38

< 1 year

'1 - 4 '5 - 9 '10 - 19 20 - 29 30 - 39 40 - 49 50 - 59 >= 60Not

known


Policy ConflictsPolicy Conflicts

Despite epidemiological evidence, the responses remain weak.

International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)

Comprehensive knowledge of HIV among young people (ages 15–24), 1999–2007

1999–2003 20102004–20070

20

40

60

80

100

%

Year

Male

Female

2005 Target2010 Target

Source: MEASURE DHS (2008)4.3

Roots Roots of of policy conflicts?policy conflicts?

ChildhoodChildhoodChildrenChildrenAdolescence Adolescence Adolescents Adolescents YouthYouth

Competing & conflictingideas


General agreement that …General agreement that …


adolescence is a passage from childhood to youth

we need to ensure ‘safe passage’

there are many opportunities, decisions & possibilities

where life may go wrong


Moral responseMoral response & & judgmentjudgment of of

premature fertilitypremature fertility && drug drug addictionaddiction

Human natureHuman nature & the effect of & the effect of

providing informationproviding information

Premature fertilityPremature fertility


Already aAlready a reality reality in many settingsin many settings

Outside or apart fromOutside or apart from pregnancy pregnancy evidence in social debates indicates thatevidence in social debates indicates that society society

understands understands tthat hat young people young people areare sexually active sexually active

Opposite moral directions for boys and girls … Opposite moral directions for boys and girls …

the the ‘studs’ and ‘sluts’ ‘studs’ and ‘sluts’ responseresponse

Drug UseDrug Use


Drugs Drugs are part ofare part of every society – every society – somesome legal, legal, somesome illegal illegal

Drug addiction is aDrug addiction is a clinical condition, clinical condition, withwith predisposing predisposing social social and and genetic factorsgenetic factors

People who use drugs or are addicted, have aPeople who use drugs or are addicted, have a ‘drug career’… ‘drug career’… eventually, most will simply stop of their own volition. eventually, most will simply stop of their own volition.

Important context Important context for howfor how people people andand systems systemsreact react toto youth youth who arewho are prematurely fertile prematurely fertile or or

addicted to drugs.addicted to drugs.


Fear StigmaFear Stigma

Image © IRIN

SPOILTSPOILT DAMAGEDDAMAGED IMMORALIMMORALUNCLEANUNCLEANBAD INFLUENCEBAD INFLUENCE


“”

Goffman (1963)Goffman (1963)

…“spoilt identity”

““Stigma and Discrimination”Stigma and Discrimination”

Stigma: Notes on the management of spoilt identity

Abomination of the body

Blemish of the individual character

Membership of a despised social group


Das (2001)Das (2001)

… in local moral worlds… including policies and programmes of larger social actors

“Stigma, Contagion, Defect: Issues in the Anthropology of Public Health.”

““Stigma and Discrimination”Stigma and Discrimination”

ContagionDefect Disability


HIV HIV PreventioPreventio

nn

Pre-empts need for treatment

Reduces risk, strengthens communitiesMakes

communities less vulnerable

Pre-empts need

for further mitigation

Treatment Treatment and Careand Care

Makes people less susceptible to infection

Addressing the Impact on Human DevelopmentAddressing the Impact on Human Development

Strengthens systems

for delivery and care

Pre-empts need for future mitigation

STIGMASTIGMA

HIV/AIDS: Implications for Poverty Reduction, UNDP 2001


Public Policy Debates Public Policy Debates onon HIV HIV andand Youth Education Youth Education


ProvidingProviding information information on on condoms condoms andand sex, sex, triggers triggers sexual sexual activity activity

ProvidingProviding information information on on drugs, drugs, triggerstriggers drug drug experimentation, experimentation, leading toleading to addiction addiction

These These stymie programs stymie programs forfor youth youth through established institutions:through established institutions: schools, church, family schools, church, family etc.etc. So left toSo left to peers. peers.

Out of School YouthOut of School Youth


POVERTYPOVERTY

Already stigmatized, Already stigmatized, asas predisposed environmentally. predisposed environmentally.

Often come from communities Often come from communities wherewhere teenage teenage pregnancies pregnancies andand drug use drug use areare common. common.

Often no sense Often no sense of aof a meaningful future. meaningful future.

Out of School YouthOut of School Youth


Inequalities + neo-liberal strategies Inequalities + neo-liberal strategies meanmean erosion erosion ofof social safety social safety nets. nets.

Failures Failures inin education education andand employment opportunities exacerbate employment opportunities exacerbate disconnection disconnection fromfrom wider society. wider society.

‘Problems’, ‘misfits’, ‘troublemakers’ ‘Problems’, ‘misfits’, ‘troublemakers’ of whomof whom society society aught to beaught to be afraid afraid of orof or disdain. disdain.

Behavior ofBehavior of police, security forces police, security forces andand justice system, justice system, through through

incarceration incarceration andand length of sentencing. length of sentencing.

HIV HIV PreventioPreventio

nn

Pre-empts need for treatment

Reduces risk, strengthens communitiesMakes

communities less vulnerable

Pre-empts need

for further mitigation

Treatment Treatment and Careand Care

Makes people less susceptible to infection

Addressing the Impact on Human DevelopmentAddressing the Impact on Human Development

Strengthens systems

for delivery and care

Pre-empts need for future mitigation

SOCIAL SOCIAL EXCLUSIONEXCLUSION

HIV/AIDS: Implications for Poverty Reduction, UNDP 2001



SolutionsSolutions

Respect Respect thethe rights rights of theof the child child andand young people young people

Get past theGet past the myth myth thatthat information leads information leads toto risky behavior risky behavior and and

thatthat ignorance ignorance oror morality lectures morality lectures areare effective effective


IT’S A LOT MORE DIFFICULT THAN

IT SOUNDS

Use anUse an age-appropriate age-appropriate staggered approach staggered approach to ways in which issues are discussed. to ways in which issues are discussed.


BUT, always evaluate BUT, always evaluate ifif intervention intervention isis working working..

AppreciateAppreciate that that young people,young people, like like everyone everyone else is else is

embeddedembedded inin family, community, societyfamily, community, society & & global systems global systems that shapethat shape youth realities, opportunities youth realities, opportunities && choices. choices.


The role ofThe role of education education && human development human development forfor all youth, all youth, including those who areincluding those who are

stigmatized stigmatized


Education Education && Development Development


Choices, freedoms Choices, freedoms andand capabilities central capabilities central to to

developmentdevelopment

Sexual & Reproductive Health Sexual & Reproductive Health andand drug education drug education build resilience build resilience when coupled withwhen coupled with effective systemic effective systemic interventions.interventions.

Good governance Good governance meansmeans social inclusion social inclusion andand citizen citizen rights rights ofof everyone, everyone, includingincluding young people. young people.

The International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)

THANK YOU!

Individual

Relationships (e.g. parents, sexual

partners, sex work clients, drug use partners)

Community and organisations

(e.g. leadership, networks, gender norms, social capital)

Structural/Societal (e.g. cultural values, residence patterns, policies and laws)

Reached through local gatekeepers, employers, educators, local government, kin groups, neighbours etc.

Reached through political groups, lawmakers, religious leaders etc.

Ecological models illustrate “levels” or “layers” of influence that affect individual opportunities and choices. Different stakeholders operate at these different “layers” and all must be reached using appropriate channels and activities in order to shift the barriers to universal access.

Reached by and through individuals and their networks

Nested RealitiesNested Realities


Youth, Difference and the Right to Education: Challenges and Opportunities in Reducing Vulnerability...

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