Assessing the Impact of Youth Empowerment on Bringing Social Change in Punjab

Abstract

The objective of this study is to highlight the importance and role of ‘Youth’ in Pakistan. In Pakistan, sixty-three percent of population is under the age of twenty five; this section of population is ‘Youth’ of country. Youth are a major driving force in the progress of any country. In a country where youth forms the majority of society, power and authority must be in the hand of youth. Empowerment of Youth is often termed as a path to intergenerational peace, civic engagement and democratic stability. Today many local, international agencies and nonprofit organizations are providing programs focused on youth empowerment. Present study focused to assess the impact of youth empowerment on bringing social change in Punjab. Present study was conducted in Punjab city. Three government universities i.e. Punjab University Lahore, Gujrat University and University of Agriculture, Faisalabad were selected randomly. Proportional sample sizes of 200 students were selected randomly. Well-designed interviews were used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used for analysis. It was found that majority of the respondents had knowledge about socio-economic, political, educational and social issues policies empower youth. It was concluded that majority (95%) of the respondents had thinking that that the development of specific communicational skills empower youth. Large majorities (74%) of the respondents were satisfied with the policy of promoting technical education. It was found that significant association between gender, age, education, income, marital status and satisfaction with the policies regarding women empowerment with their perception about the impact of youth empowerment on bringing social change. Strong political will is required in order to empower women. To achieve this, vital role can be played by women politicians and activists by highlighting women’s’ issues at various forums. Moreover, priority should be given to solve these issues by the government.

DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2014.v3n4p331