Romance and sex before marriage among young women and men in India

This policy brief was produced in association with the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai (IIPS). Data was drawn from the Youth in India: Situation and Needs study to examine pre-marital partnerships and relationship among youth in India. Findings call for family life or sex education, and increased awareness and education of condom use

Transition to marriage and parenthood among youth in Rajasthan

Delaying the transition to marriage and parenthood among young people has been a policy and program priority for several years in India. Several national-level policies formulated since 2000 have advocated special program attention to delay age at marriage and age at first birth. Despite these commitments, substantial proportions of girls continue to marry in adolescence in India. As recently as in 2005–06, more than two-fifths of women aged 20–24 were married by 18 years nationally. Likewise, over one-fifth of women aged 20–24 had given birth before age 18 and two-fifths before age 20. While the magnitude of early marriage and childbearing has been widely documented, far less is known about the extent to which young people are involved in planning their marriage, how prepared they are for married life, and the nature of their married life. This policy brief documents the magnitude of early marriage and early childbearing in Rajasthan and sheds light on young people’s involvement in marriage-related planning, preparedness for married life, and the nature of married life

Education and transition to work among youth in Tamil Nadu

The extent to which India will be able to successfully harness its demographic dividend depends significantly on the situation of its youth, notably on the levels of education and market-oriented skills they attain. Youth in Tamil Nadu have made considerable strides in terms of educational attainment, yet it is not clear whether they are prepared for the challenges they will face in a globalized world. For example, are opportunities available that enable them to complete secondary education, increasingly a prerequisite for participating in the labor market in the context of globalization. Are opportunities available that enable youth to overcome skill mismatches through vocational skills and training? Are youth in Tamil Nadu succeeding in finding productive employment and becoming integrated into the labor market? Are opportunities available for young women to make the most of their productive potential? This policy brief argues that significant investments in terms of appropriate policies and programs are required to enable the state to harness its demographic dividend and enable its youth to participate in and benefit from global development

Sexuality education matters: Experiences of youth in Tamil Nadu

Serious reservations have been expressed about providing family life or sex education for school-going youth in India. Tamil Nadu is a state in India that had introduced the School AIDS Education Programme in 1997. Data from the “Youth in India: Situation and Needs” study conducted in Tamil Nadu permit an exploration of whether or not exposure to family life or sex education is associated with safe and healthy behaviors among young people. This policy brief documents the extent of exposure to family life or sex education among youth in Tamil Nadu and the extent to which sexual and reproductive health awareness and behaviors differ between youth who were exposed to family life or sex education and those who were not. It argues that youth who were exposed to such education were considerably more likely to be aware of sexual and reproductive matters and slightly less likely to have engaged in risky sexual practices than those who were not. Evidence from Tamil Nadu does not support concerns raised by the Rajya Sabha Committee, which recommended that there be no sex education in schools

Youth in India: Situation and Needs 2006-2007, executive summary, Jharkhand

This executive summary presents, in brief, findings on the situation of youth in Jharkhand, part of a subnational study undertaken by the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, and the Population Council, New Delhi, as part of a project to collect information on key transitions experienced by youth in India. Transitions include those related to education, workforce participation, sexual activity, marriage, health and civic participation, the magnitude and patterns of young people’s sexual and reproductive practices before, within, and outside of marriage, as well as related knowledge, decision-making, and attitudes. The project was implemented in six states of India, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu

Transition to marriage and parenthood among youth in Bihar

Delaying the transition to marriage and parenthood among young people has been a policy and program priority for several years in India. Several national-level policies formulated since 2000 have advocated special program attention to delay age at marriage and age at first birth. Despite these commitments, substantial proportions of girls continue to marry in adolescence. As recently as 2005–06, more than two-fifths of women aged 20–24 were married by 18 years nationally. Likewise, over one-fifth of women aged 20–24 had given birth before age 18 and two-fifths before age 20. While the magnitude of early marriage and childbearing has been widely documented, far less is known about the extent to which young people are involved in planning their marriage, how prepared they are for married life, and the nature of their married life. This policy brief documents the magnitude of early marriage and early childbearing in Bihar and sheds light on young people’s involvement in marriage-related planning, preparedness for married life, and the nature of married life

Youth in India: Situation and Needs 2006-2007, Tamil Nadu

This report is the result of a sub-national study undertaken by the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai and the Population Council, New Delhi, as part of a project to collect information on key transitions experienced by youth in India. The report focuses on findings from the survey conducted in Tamil Nadu. The Youth Study findings highlight the need for further study in terms of formative research that explores in greater depth the factors impeding successful transitions to adulthood, in the areas, for example, of secondary school completion, economic activity, sexual relations, and marriage and parenthood. The study alerts us to the many challenges confronting youth and their ability to make a successful transition to adulthood, and emphasizes the heterogeneity of youth, not only in terms of their situation but also with regard to their stated needs and preferred mechanisms to address these needs. Evidence presented here provides not only a blueprint for the programming needs of youth in Tamil Nadu but also a baseline by which to measure the impact of programs intended to address youth needs

Ensuring education for all in Rajasthan: Highlighting the obstacles

The extent to which India will be able to successfully harness its demographic dividend depends significantly on the situation of its youth, notably on the levels of education and market-oriented skills they attain. While many states have made progress on the education front, many other states, including Rajasthan, have lagged behind. Looking at the current educational situation of youth in Rajasthan, this policy brief argues that significant investments in terms of appropriate policies and programs are required to: enable the state to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of universal primary education and elimination of gender disparity in primary and secondary education, harness its demographic dividend, and enable its youth to participate in and benefit from global development

Youth in India: Situation and Needs 2006-2007—Executive summary, Andhra Pradesh

This study, implemented by the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai and the Population Council, New Delhi is the first-ever subnationally representative study conducted to identify key transitions experienced by married and unmarried youth in India. In recognition of the importance of investing in young people, several national policies and programs formulated since 2000 have underscored a commitment to addressing the multiple needs of this group in India. Effective implementation of policies and programs, however, has been handicapped by lack of evidence on young people’s situation and needs. This study focused on married and unmarried young women and unmarried young men aged 15–24 and, because of the paucity of married young men in the younger ages, married men aged 15–29 in both rural and urban settings. The study collected information pertaining to key transitions experienced by youth, and the patterns of young people’s sexual and reproductive practices within and outside marriage. The study was conducted in six states: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. This report focuses on findings from the survey conducted in Andhra Pradesh

Transition to marriage and parenthood among youth in Jharkhand

Delaying the transition to marriage and parenthood among young people has been a policy and program priority for a number of years in India. For example, several national-level policies formulated since 2000 have advocated special program attention to delay age at marriage and age at first birth. Despite these commitments, substantial proportions of girls continue to marry in adolescence. As recently as in 2005–06, more than two-fifths of women aged 20–24 were married by 18 years nationally. Likewise, over one-fifth of women aged 20–24 had given birth before age 18 and two-fifths before age 20. While the magnitude of early marriage and childbearing has been widely documented, far less is known about the extent to which young people are involved in planning their marriage, how prepared they are for married life, and the nature of their married life. This policy brief documents the magnitude of early marriage and early childbearing in Jharkhand and sheds light on young people’s involvement in marriage-related planning, preparedness for married life, and the nature of married life