Piggy Chops for empowering adolescent girls and boys |
UNICEF Global Goodwill Ambassador and Bollywood-Hollywood celebrity Priyanka Chopra interacted with a group of young girls and boys along with media in Delhi on 23 December 2017. The subject was “Adolescents today face a unique set of challenges; Giving them the tools to improve their lives will help create a generation of economically-independent citizens who will actively contribute to their communities. Investment in adolescents can lift millions out of poverty by creating a constructive and skilled workforce.” Focusing on the issue of child marriage, Priyanka said, “A girl who is married as a child is more likely to be out of school, experience domestic violence. She is more likely to have children when she is still a child. There are more chances of her dying due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth.” India is home to more than 243 million adolescents, who account for a quarter of the country`s population. Ending child marriage, enabling access to secondary education and transition to work can be a game changer for India`s future growth and development. Adolescent boys may be vulnerable to paid child labour and consequently miss school. A study on `Supporting Adolescent transition to adulthoods – What Works and What Doesn`t` was also shared on this occasion. The findings explore evidence on social protection measures for adolescents.
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