British Council - Next Gen Research Report 2023
British Council - Next Gen Research Report 2023
British Council - Next Gen Research Report 2023
Next Generation
Report 2023
www.britishcouncil.org/
research-policy-insight
Copyright: Umar Farooq
Contents
Foreword ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Key Findings ................................................................................................................................................................................5
Background ..................................................................................................................................................................................7
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................9
Research Design & Methodology ........................................................................................................................................11
Analytical Framework for Research ................................................................................................................................. 14
Portrait of a Generation ....................................................................................................................................................... 16
E1: Environment ................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Generation Next Vs. Now: The role of families and intergenerational gap .............................................. 23
Insecure Lives: Social Marginalisation on the Basis of Gender and Disability ........................................ 24
Gender and Youth ......................................................................................................................................................... 25
Persons with Disability (PWDs) ................................................................................................................................. 26
An Economy in Crisis: Financial Decline and Youth Prospects ..................................................................... 27
The Perils of Polarization: Social and Political Divisions ................................................................................. 28
Social Acceptance ......................................................................................................................................................... 29
Social Fault Lines ........................................................................................................................................................... 33
Climate Catastrophe: Global Warming and its Impact ..................................................................................... 35
E2: Emerging Challenges ................................................................................................................................................. 37
Bereft of Opportunities: The Employment Challeng ......................................................................................... 38
The Literacy-Labour Dichotomy .............................................................................................................................. 40
Dissatisfaction and Stigmatization .......................................................................................................................... 42
Obsolete Academics: Education and its Discontents ...................................................................................... 43
A Broken Education System ...................................................................................................................................... 44
Teaching Quality ............................................................................................................................................................ 45
E3: Effects ............................................................................................................................................................................... 46
Learning to Earn: Digital Enhancement and Skill Development ................................................................... 47
A New World of Opportunities: E-Professionalism, E-Commerce and Youth ............................................48
Entrepreneurship .......................................................................................................................................................... 49
Online Employment ...................................................................................................................................................... 51
Women and E-Commerce .......................................................................................................................................... 53
Discourse and Discord: Expression, Engagement and Polarization ........................................................... 54
Social Media and Information ................................................................................................................................... 55
Political and Civic Engagement ................................................................................................................................ 57
E4: Enablers ........................................................................................................................................................................... 60
The Case for Change: Political Engagement and Policymaking for Young People ............................... 61
Innovation and Adaptation: Education Engagement for Youth Needs ...................................................... 62
Recommendations ......................................................................................................................................................... 64
Foreword
Pakistan is currently the sixth most populous embraced digital opportunities as a route for
country globally, with two-thirds of the population self-empowerment is a striking development in this
below the age of 30, making it among the world’s latest report.
youngest nations. As Pakistan engages in digital transformation and
Eight countries, of which Pakistan is one, will prioritises inclusion for all in the digital economy, it
account for more than half the rise in global is critical to note there remain gaps between those
population by 2050. At present, Pakistan’s with the access, skills and knowledge to capitalise
population represents the 10th largest labour force on the opportunities of digital citizenship, and those
in the world. Yet, unemployment rates are high, without; notably historically marginalized groups
access to quality education and skills development such as women, persons with disabilities, minorities
is limited, socio-economic inequality restricts and the rural populations. Meanwhile, many
access to opportunities and resources, and political technologically literate young people, whilst aware
instability is fueling economic and social insecurity. of the power of digital, are concerned about the
However, where there are challenges, there are spread of disinformation and its polarizing effects.
immense opportunities too. Over the last decade, The consensus shared by young men and women
since the previous Next Generation report was throughout the report is broadly similar. For
published, the government and other stakeholders instance, climate change is of greater concern than
have made various efforts to support young people ever, however, concerns around quality education,
by launching initiatives geared towards improving bridging the skills gap, and lack of decent
access to education, supporting skills development, employment opportunities takes precedence.
encouraging entrepreneurship and initiating youth Furthermore, whilst young people are not
engagement programmes. The desire to support disinterested in politics, there is clearly a need for
young people is evident, yet the results make clear more concerted efforts to meaningfully engage
that much more needs to be done to help the next them in the political and civic space.
generation unlock their full potential and create an This research has given us the opportunity to stop,
equitable and prosperous society in which they can think, re-evaluate, and most importantly, listen to
thrive. and work with young people directly to explore how
This research – a part of the British Council’s global we can create a more sustainable and successful
initiative, the Next Generation Series – investigates future for young Pakistanis.
factors that will enable young people to become We would like to express our deep gratitude to the
engaged, fulfilled, and active citizens in their young people who took part in this study. Their
countries. It seeks to gain a deeper understanding voices are critical to shaping the future and the
of their aspirations, needs and readiness in the hope deep insight they have provided is invaluable.
of bringing together Pakistan’s brightest minds to We believe that Next Generation Pakistan has the
identify ways of tapping into the energy and talent power to bring the right people together to
of Pakistani youth. generate a constructive discourse on the
This research was initiated during a difficult period aspirations, opportunities and challenges facing
for Pakistan. As the country was dealing with the young people today, as well as exploring ways to
consequences of Covid-19, the already challenging fully unleash their as yet untapped potential. The
situation was made worse by the devastating floods findings present not only key challenges faced by
of 2022. Despite a minimal contribution to global young people in present times, but also point toward
emissions – Pakistan’s total CO2 emissions account measures and critical actions required by all
for approximately 1.5% of total emissions – the stakeholders - including government, civil society,
country found itself at the center of the climate media, academia, and society at large - to overcome
crisis as well as leading the climate justice them.
conversation. Moreover, ongoing political instability Supporting young people in gaining the right
and escalating economic uncertainty has had an education and skills, confidence and connections,
impact on the findings. Yet still, the findings were will allow them to participate in and create strong
surprising. and inclusive communities. The benefits of which
Even though Pakistan’s economy has remained in a are unlimited.
state of flux for decades, with frequent
macroeconomic crises, Pakistani youth are
optimistic about their future in the country. Most
young people want to remain in Pakistan as Amir Ramzan
opposed to moving abroad. This optimism is in part Country Director British Council
due to the digital revolution and its potential to
improve the lives of young people through direct
access to e-commerce platforms that are Task Force
increasingly providing new opportunities for Pakistan – The Next Generation Research
economic empowerment. The speed and
enthusiasm with which young people have
Pakistan – The Next Generation Report 2023 2
Acknowledgements
The British Council would like to thank our research research report
partner Ipsos Pakistan for their efforts in organising
fieldwork, recruiting participants, supporting British Council Team
analysis, reviewing early drafts and imparting local o Maryam Rab – Head of Research Programmes,
knowledge. The field team of Ipsos deserves a Research and Policy Insight team
special mention as despite floods in Pakistan, they o Sadia Rahman – Regional Head of Non-formal
continued gathering data across Pakistan and Education Programmes, South Asia
completed the research timely. o Wajiha Irfan – Head of Non-formal Education
We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to Programmes, Pakistan
Prof. Dr. Asghar Zaidi, Vice Chancellor of o Izzah Meyer – Global Research Programmes
Government College University (GCU) Lahore for Adviser
helping us reach students from public universities o Talha Chishti – Senior Manager, Non-Formal
across Pakistan gathered at GCU for Annual Student Education Programme, Pakistan
Societies’ Summit 2022, and seek their opinion o Iftikhar Ahmed – Programme Manager,
through online polling as well as providing us access Non-Formal Education Programme, Pakistan
to a bright and hard-working group of young o Rhea Bhandari – Project Coordinator and
students who participated in a workshop that Executive Assistant, Research and Insight (UK)
helped generate solutions to youth problems.
Disclaimer
Youth Task Force The views expressed in this report are those of the
o Prof. Dr. Asghar Zaidi- Vice Chancellor, GCU authors and contributors and do not necessarily
Lahore reflect the views of the British Council. Any errors
o Kanwal Ahmed, Founder, Soul Sisters and omissions remain our own.
Pakistan/Conversations with Kanwal
o Kanwal Khoosat, Film maker, Executive Director
Olompolo Media
o Sana Mir, Cricketer
o Dr Shabnum Sarfaraz, Member - Social, Planning
Commission of Pakistan
o Shahid Rehmat, Exec. Director, Youth
Development Foundation
o Sikandar Bizenjo, External Relations Manager
Engro
o Talha Ahmed – The Centrum Media
Next Generation Research – a Global Initiative First published in 2009 in Pakistan by the British
Council, the Next Generation report sparked a
The Next Generation research series examines the much-needed debate on how Pakistan can
conditions that support young people in becoming transform itself to harness the potential of its young
creative, fulfilled and active citizens in their people.
countries. Since 2009, when the first Next The study made some critical insights, with half of
Generation report was published in Pakistan, the the respondents claiming they don’t have the skills
British Council has conducted a number of seminal for the modern labor market, while only 5% claimed
studies comprising all regions of the world. to receive any higher education, a major indictment
Countries as diverse as Indonesia, Zimbabwe, Sri of the country’s learning systems. There was also a
Lanka, Ireland, Kenya, South Africa, the UK, and noted disillusionment with democracy with only 10%
Turkey, have been analysed in depth to examine the having confidence in the government, and less than
challenges and aspirations of youth. The most 40% voting in the 2008 elections (with another 50%
recent phase of this initiative (2021-22), assessed not even on the voter list). Overall, the report urged
perspectives from Germany, Poland, Italy, Lebanon, leaders to take young people and their issues
Nigeria, Ethiopia, Myanmar and Vietnam, reaching seriously, establish a new social contract with them
out to over seventeen thousand young citizens and make them active citizens and leaders for the
between the ages of 15 and 35 via survey polls, and country’s future. Two more reports were published
conducting hundreds of direct engagements via in 2013 (Next Generation goes to Ballot Box) and in
focus group discussions, in depth interviews, online 2014 (Untold Stories, Insecure Lives) taking a
diaries and youth workshops. deepened look at youth political participation and
The reports have shed light on critical aspects impact of conflict and violence respectively.
relevant to the youth population. The 2022 wave Since then, Pakistan has gone through waves of
showed how young people are hungry to engage, evolution, with a rarely seen continuity in the
with a strong desire on their part to work with democratic process, as well as major regional and
policymakers to develop solutions to better their global upheavals, the emergence of the digital
lives. Despite this, young people felt revolution, a once-in-a-century health crisis, and the
underappreciated and disempowered, believing rise of a new political order. This has inevitably
that their views and contributions did not receive shaped Pakistani society, and particularly its
the attention to the same extent as older youngest inhabitants, who have now become the
generations, creating restrictions in their ability to largest group in the country. As of 2022, Pakistan is
affect change. Resultantly, they have shifted from currently the sixth most populous country globally,
with two-thirds of the population below the age of
Research Design
Finalization of themes Comprehensive
via Key Informant battery of
Desk Research
Interviews and Statements
Ideation Groups via Focus Groups
Key Informant
Quantitative Interviews Stakeholders’
Survey (validation of Quant Workshop
Questionnaire)
Workshop for
Workshop Advocacy &
Final Reporting
with Youth Dissemination
Desk Research and Emerging Themes areas of focus for British Council.
A thorough literature review was conducted to The desk review benefited from a rich body of
assess the key challenges of young Pakistanis and literature on youth engagement, as well as insights
establish the key patterns on which to carry out the from the previous Next Generation studies, which
research. Multiple research articles, policy papers, were used to identify the main areas of inquiry.
government reports, and regional/global indexes The literature review identified ten key challenges,
were studied in depth keeping in mind the main which were used as the basis for the next phases of
research:
This section explores their importance, as well as regulation, obedience, academic performance,
the findings of our research specific to these fators. social competence, and resilience . Family influence
is also seen to positively correlate with career
Gneration Next Vs. Now: The role of
decision self-efficacy and happiness, contributing to
families and intergenerational gap
their professional development and satisfaction .
Furthermore, the economic status of families is
Key Takeaways
crucial to providing children with access to
• Evidence shows young people differing from the
opportunities and mobilization, which are key to
views and values of their parents in several areas,
their advancement in various personal and
including social change, lifestyle and education
professional spheres.
• Majority of youth people feel they are unable to
While a similar correlation exists in Pakistan as well,
decide their future
the research has highlighted tensions and sources
• Most respondents believe their lives are worse
of division between parents and their adult children,
off than their parents
a signal of a generational gap on key family and
societal issues, which in turn could be negatively
When it comes to personal development, the role of
impacting Pakistani youngsters and their ability to
family cannot be understated. Good parenting is
reach their potential.
found to be associated with better emotional
3
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The COVID pandemic also escalated violence against women, with a sharp rise observed in 2020 according to a report by
the Aurat Foundation7.
6
“World’s 10 Most Dangerous Countries for Women”. Thomson Reuters Foundation. 2018. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-women-
dangerous-poll-factbox-idUSKBN1JM01Z
7
“Pakistan sees rise in gender-based violence during COVID-19”. The News. Dec 2021. https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/914582-
pakistan-sees-a-rise-in-gender-based-violence-during-covid-19
10
Next Generation Pakistan 2014 Report. https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/next_generation_insecure_lives_
untold_stories.pdf
14
Global Human Rights Defence.“TRANSGENDER EMPLOYMENT QUOTAS IN PAKISTAN”. 2022 https://ghrd.org/transgender-employment-
quotas-in-pakistan/
15
Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development And Transparency. “A Study of Youth Policies in Pakistan”. 2020 https://pildat.org/wp-
content/uploads/2020/09/AStudyofYouthPoliciesinPakistan.pdf?Submit=Download
16
“Annual Report 2018-19”. National Commission on the Status of Women. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NiBVcPcfPT3xH6fY1IZ3
Ps6uFALIpyJ3/view
17
#Envision2030. United Nations. https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/envision2030.html#:~:text=The%20SDGs%20al
so%20explicitly%20include,the%20monitoring%20of%20the%20SDGs.
18
“Country section: Pakistan”. DisabilityIN. https://disabilityin.org/country/pakistan/#:~:text=Pakistan%20also%20follows%20the%
20CRPD's,an%20equal%20basis%20with%20others.%E2%80%9D
19
“Big Data Analysis of Census 2017. Gallup Pakistan.
20
National Institute of Population Studies “Disability studies”. 2018 https://www.nips.org.pk/page/disability-data
21
Pakistan: Country Overview. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/pakistan/overview
22
Pakistan: Country Overview. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/pakistan/overview
23
Hussain, Nadeem. “Economy: Pakistan’s Story of Debt”. 2022. https://www.dawn.com/news/1726921
24
Pakistan. Economic Freedoms Index 2022. Heritage Foundation. https://www.heritage.org/index/country/pakistan
25
Economic Survey of Pakistan. Ministry of Finance. 2021. https://www.finance.gov.pk/survey/chapters_21/Overview.pdf
26
Economic Update and Outlook. Ministry of Finance. Sept 2022. https://www.finance.gov.pk/economic/economic_update_
September_2022.pdf
Unemployment 61
61
Economic growth 26
26
lack of access to education 25
19
Extremism / terrorism 19
16
Violence and conflict 16
16
Climate change 14
14
Gender inequality
12
Political polarisation
11
Global financial system 10
6
It is important to note that these apprehensions How important are the following issues in
existed in the 2009 report as well, which listed deciding how you will vote?
inflation and unemployment among the top issues
facing Pakistan. It is lamentable that 13 years later, Base:All respondents 3466
not much has changed on this front. Improving the economy
27
“US Keeps Pakistan on Religious Violators List”. DAWN. Dec 2022. https://www.dawn.com/news/1724407#:~:text=WASHINGTON%
3A%20The%20United%20States%20on,of%20religious%20freedom%E2%80%9D%20during%202022
28
US Commission on International Religious Freedom. 2022 Update. August 2022. https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2022-
08/2022%20Pakistan%20Country%20Update.pdf
29
“Sri Lankan Factory Manager Lynched and Set on Fire in Pakistan. Al-Jazeera. Dec 2021. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/
12/3/sri-lankan-factory-manager-lynched-and-set-on-fire-in-pakistan
30
“Human Rights Observer 2022”. Center for Social Justice. https://csjpak.org/pdf/HR_Observer_2022.pdf
31
“Making Sense of Pakistani Youth”. Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies. 2022. https://www.pakpips.com/web/wp-content/uploads
/2022/04/National-Report.pdf
33
Global Climate Risk Index 2020, Who Suffers Most from Extreme Weather Events? Weather Related Loss Events in 2018 and 1999
to 2018, David Eckstein, Vera Kunzel, Laura Schafer, Maik Winges, German watch, 2020
34
UNICEF Flash Flood Appeal Infographic. https://www.unicef.org/media/127526/file/UNICEF%20Pakistan%
20Floods%20Flash%20Appeal.pdf
35
“Climate Connection – Pakistan: South Asia Perceptions of Young People on Climate Change and Action”. British Council.
2021. https://www.britishcouncil.pk/sites/default/files/country_report_pakistan_full_v7.pdf
36
“Nature is Striking Back: Flooding around the world from Australia to Venezuela”. The Guardian. 2022. https://www.theguardian.
com/environment/2022/oct/20/flooding-world-climate-crisis-australia-venezuela-nigeria
37
“Youth Voice on Climate Action: Pakistan”. British Council. 2021. https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/cluster_c_
country_letters_pakistan_fnl_branded.pdf
38
World Bank: Pakistan’s Economy Slows Down While Inflation Rises Amid Catastrophic Floods, Oct 2022. https://www.worldbank.org/
en/news/press-release/2022/10/06/world-bank-pakistan-s-economy-slows-down-while-inflation-rises-amid-catastrophic-floods
39
‘Next Gen Pakistan’. British Council. 2009. https://www.britishcouncil.pk/sites/default/files/next-generation-report.pdf
40
“Employment Boom in the Last 3 Years”. Express Tribune. March 2022. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2350416/employment-boom-in
-last-3-years
41
‘Population, Labor Force and Employment’. Economic Survey of Pakistan 2018-19. Ministry of Finance. https://www.finance.gov.pk/
survey/chapters_19/12-Population.pdf
42
Unemployment, youth (15-24). World Bank. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.1524.ZS?locations=PK
43
UNICEF GBC Education Study Results. 2019. https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/more-half-south-asian-youth-are-not-track-
have-education-and-skills-necessary
44
Ministry of Finance statistics. https://www.finance.gov.pk/survey/chapter_22/PES12-POPULATION.pdf
45
“Literacy Rate – 15-24 years in Pakistan”. World Bank. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.1524.LT.ZS?locations=PK
46
“Skill Disconnect in Sindh”. British Council. 2015. https://www.britishcouncil.pk/sites/default/files/skill_disconnect_in_sindh.pdf
Even for employed youngsters, the notion of job and a perception that workplace environments are
satisfaction is lacking in many ways. One key reason less accommodating of them.
uncovered in the research was family limitations. Female Respondent, 16-24, Karachi Rural SEC CD
Several respondents in the focus groups com- The major issue we face are mental challenges lead-
plained of having very different aspirations from the ing to stress. Sometimes people are a challenge as
ones they eventually ended at, with cultural limita- they ask why are you doing a job?
tions being cited by females and financial limitations Given the constrictions from families, Pakistani
mentioned by male respondents. Nearly seven in society needs to ask itself whether young people
ten participants stated that their family’s financial are compromising their peace of mind and their
situation determined their career choices. Many internal happiness by being forced to give up on
respondents expressed exasperation with not being their dreams and instead opt for lucrative or socially
able to follow their career path because either their appropriate employment that may satisfy the needs
family was too limited financially or saw lucrative of their families, but neglect their own.
jobs as the only form of employment while marginal- Male Respondent, 24-34, Lahore Urban SEC BC
izing other careers. I have too many responsibilities, so I had to limit my
Male Respondent, 24-34, Peshawar Rural own wishes and things in life to support my family.
Every parent wants their kids to excel regardless of Male Respondent, 16-24 Peshawar Rural, SEC CD
how poor they are, but their state forces them to I used to dream about being a cricketer but then I
force their kids to work at a young age…..All of this saw my father’s financial status and I realized that
happens due to financial issues, they are forced to do he needs me to earn money and help him out and I
this to their children, and no parent wants their kid to killed my dream right there and parents usually
stress about financial issues at such an age. don’t support such things.
48
“South Asian Perspectives on Education, Skills and Employment”. UNICEF. 2019. https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/more-half-
south-asian-youth-are-not-track-have-education-and-skills-necessary
49
New York Times. “Pakistan Christian Sweepers”. 2020 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/04/world/asia/pakistan-christians-
sweepers.html
50
The Express Tribune. “30,000 govt vacant minority seats worries SC”. 2021 https://tribune.com.pk/story/2322342/sc-expresses-
concern-over-30000-minority-vacancies-in-govt-sector
56 “Gender Inequality in Education”. Dr. Muhammad Abdul Kamal. Pakistan Today. Feb 2022. https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/02/
27/gender-inequality-in-education/
These findings challenge our assumptions in terms marketing, online courses...Khan academy is good
of assessing what young Pakistanis think will for learning. YouTube helps in learning as well so one
improve their prospects. Importantly, it also signals can self-learn.
the start of increasing agency in skill and knowledge Youth education expert, KII
acquisition. Several young people interviewed The more skills you have, the better you can be at
during the course of the project mentioned how life. With the IT boom, kids are also learning. There’s
they are using all kinds of resources to learn new not a single kid I meet who doesn’t say “I am a
skills. content writer”. Everyone is a content writer. Many
Female Respondent, 24-34, Islamabad Urban kids on campuses are saying they are helping others
SEC AB with freelance work.
Skills are more important these days like digital
Technical education is more need of the hour than the formal education
Base:3446
75
72
69
68
Online learning can provide me with the skills needed for future work
Base: Socioeconomic classification & Provincial breakdown
A New World ofOpportunities: The patterns of online learning reflect a key aspect
E-Professionalism, E-Commerce and of Next Generation Pakistan: They are becoming
Youth increasingly independent and driven, as well as
enterprising.
Key Takeaways The digital economy is creating more opportunities
• The majority of youth are interested in starting for young entrepreneurs, including the evolution of
their own business within the next 5 years FinTechs and digital finance57. The potential for this
• Over half of the respondents see online is enormous. According to a report by Strategic
freelancing as a viable option and have an Economics firm AlphaBeta, Pakistan’s digital
understanding of digital e-commerce platforms transformation can unlock upto 60 billion dollars in
• Women are being seen as the major beneficia economic value by 203058. The digital startup
ries of e-commerce by helping to bypass eco-system is on track to raise over 230 million
restrictions preventing them from traditional dollars, while IT and IT enabled services accounted
employment for USD 2.1 billion in 2021, growing at over 15
percent per annum since 2010.
57
“Pakistan Development Update: Financing the Real Economy”. World Bank 2022 https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/410d050
6bba8afc6fd9d9541148bfe4d-0310062022/original/PDU-April-2022-April18-ForWEB-Final.pdf
58
“Unlocking Pakistan’s Digital Potential: The Economic Opportunities Of Digital Transformation And Google’s Contribution”. AlphaBeta
Strategy. 2021 https://alphabeta.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/pakistan-digital-transformation.pdf
59
“Ease of Doing Business Reforms – Pakistan”. State Bank of Pakistan. 2020 https://www.sbp.org.pk/FS/Ease/Ease-r.htm
60
“Promoting Technology-driven Entrepreneurship in Pakistan”. Pakistan Today. 2022 https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/04/08
/promoting-technology-driven-entrepreneurship-in-pakistan/
61
Shair, W. Waheed, A. Kamran, M.M. Kubra, N. "Digital Divide in Pakistan: Barriers to ICT Usage Among the Individuals of Pakistan". Journal
of Economic Impact. 2022.
62
“Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above) – Pakistan”. The World Bank. 2021
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.LITR.MA.ZS?locations=PK
internet users in Pakistan have increased a further While data on age group disaggregation for internet
22 million (+36%) between 2021 and 202263, while users is not publicly available, one can infer some
the number of social media users has risen to 71 conclusions from indirect sources. For instance,
million. Internet usage is increasingly moving from Meta’s ad data, that shows the majority of social
laptops/desktops to mobile phones, with 3G/4G media users are men between the ages of 18 and
subscribers comprising 114 million or 52% of the 34.
Telenor conducted a multi-country survey of youth Q38.Please tell me, do you use internet?
internet usage with Plan International in 2021, which Base:All respondents
also included participants from Pakistan65. 17
Yes 60
percent of Pakistani youngsters said they use the No 40
internet all the time – from waking up till bedtime.
A survey by Kantar also revealed a pattern on inter-
Internet users in Pakistan seem to have a distinct
net users, whereby males (69%), Gen Z individuals persona. They are more likely to live in urban areas,
(67% of 15-24 year olds and 57% of 25-34 year are educated, to currently be studying (82%) and to
olds) and employed individuals (63%) are more likely
be self-employed/entrepreneurs (84%) have the
to use the internet66. highest rates of internet usage Of note, there is a
The British Council survey results corroborated large gap between men and women, with 73% of
these studies, with its own findings showing that
men saying they use the internet but only
approximately 60% of youth have access to the
internet.
Yes 95 97 95 81
Total Private Public Illiterate No 5 3 5 19
Institute Institute
Young people belonging to nuclear families are far men (30% vs. 11% for women) reflecting
more inclined towards television in comparison to disproportionate internet use. Youth educated at
joint families. Facebook is being used more by the religious institutes were far more likely to cite family
privately educated (34%), 16 to 24 year olds, and as an information source (74%) as are women (61%).
65
“Youths call for continued guidance to tackle online bullying amid increased internet use”. Telenor. 2021
https://www.telenor.com/media/announcement/youths-call-for-continued-guidance-to-tackle-online-bullying-amid-increased-internet-use/
66
“Pakistan’s journey to digital”. Google South Asia. 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mlSvA7MyWo
67
Arab News. “Imran Khan’s anti-American campaign has strengthened his populist base”. 2022 https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2078336
68
Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development & Transparency. “Youth overwhelmingly support democracy, despite weaknesses: Youth
Parliament Pakistan launches its first edition of the ‘Voice of Youth’ series”. 2022 https://pildat.org/youth1/youth-overwhelmingly-
support-democracy-despite-weaknesses-youth-parliament-pakistan-launches-its-first-edition-of-the-voice-of-youth-series
69
Gallup Pakistan. “Youth Voter Turnout- Empirical Analysis of Elections in Pakistan”. 2021 https://gallup.com.pk/wp/wp-content/
uploads/2021/12/Youth-Voting.pdf
70
“Mapping Social Movements in Pakistan”. HRCP. 2022. Pg. 20
71“
Climate fatalism grips young people worldwide while the urgency for solution-oriented media grows”. IPSOS. Nov 2021.
https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/climate-fatalism-grips-young-people-worldwide-while-urgency-solution-oriented-media-grows
72
“Global Youth Letter on Climate Action”. British Council. 2021. https://www.britishcouncil.org/ climate-connection/get-involved/global
-youth-letter/climate-action?__hstc=228432002.78b6c 136bf295e36b68edea6a60ec2fa.1669362159334.1674394865783.1674
394865789.17&__hssc=228 432002.1.1674394865789&__hsfp=1389098529&_ga=2.123041160.247604736.1674381399-7474
57407.1668767862&_gl=1*pipzs6*_ga*NzQ3NDU3NDA3LjE2Njg3Njc4NjI.*_ga_X5M3D7HLQQ*MTY3ND
M5Mzk0OC4yMi4xLjE2NzQzOTQ4NjIuMC4wLjA
'I have seen that material/content that targets my community on social media
(Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp)' :
T2B (Agree) 61
B2B (Disagree) 17
'I have often seen content on social media (Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp) that is
intolerant of my social views' :
T2B (Agree) 64
B2B (Disagree) 14
'I have often seen content on social media (Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp) that is
intolerant of my political views' :
T2B (Agree) 54 63
B2B (Disagree) 22 15
The Case for Change: Political 18th Amendment, policymaking regarding youth is
Engagement and Policymaking for the responsibility of the provincial governments.
Young People PILDAT performed a detailed analysis of provincial
policies in 2020 with some important revelations75.
Key Takeaways Firstly, there is no Minister dedicated to Youth
• The majority of respondents feel their voices are Affairs other than Punjab. Secondly, policies are
not being heard by the country’s leadership announced in the form of endowment funds and
• Participants showed low direct participation in public-private partnerships, but no concrete action
the political process, with only 10% stating they plan is suggested, nor any implementation strate-
voted in the last year gies formulated (for instance policies are devised on
• Political participation, engagement and active job creation for youth but stop short of suggesting
say in policymaking is a key demand of young how it will be done).
Pakistanis While political parties have been heavily investing in
youth, it is mainly limited to propagation and advo-
The role of governance in mismanaging the affairs cacy rather than representation.The social media
of the country has been dissected in multiple analy- wings of parties are primarily composed of techno-
ses and studies, but a specific focus on the lack of logically savvy youth that are mainly involved in
enfranchisement for young citizens is needed. Post political messaging and trending in the online space.
Not being heard at all 33% Young people in the FGDs and youth experts
interviewed made a range of suggestions on policies
Heard to very little extent 20% and actions that are needed to help young people and
Pakistan in general to progress. This includes very
Heard but little action 10% specific actions such as making it easier to open a
bank account as a freelancer (as seen earlier this a
popular employment route among young people) and
Heard well with some action 6%
access to finance to set up business to broader needs
around infrastructure development to provide access
Heard and significant action 2%
to digital and technological facilities to all people and
regions. Policies and actions if taken can support
While governments have focused on some flagship youth enterprise and e commerce.
youth policies (e.g. Kamyab Jawan program, Youth Youth education expert, KII
Laptop scheme), it seems that young people are There are things the government wants to do for kids,
used as a tool for political parties to gain favour but there’s a lot of loopholes. When you are just
though policies that are then not implemented, or freelancer, you can’t open a bank account. That makes
just excluded from the policy making process no sense. I know freelancers who run entire homes.
altogether. Male Respondent, 16-34, Peshawar Rural SEC CD
This has an effect on their participation in the political Our problem is that government takes initiatives and
process. The survey results show only 10% young makes ideal laws but no one makes sure to implement
citizens have voted in elections in the past 12 months those, the illegal things are still happening at the same
despite a flurry of by-elections in various parts of the pace and no one is scared of the law as government
country which were hotly contested and only 13% does not take any sort of action.
claim to have taken part in a protest or a political rally. Social Activist, KII
The majority - 68% say they have not participated in Policies have been very misguided. Connectivity is a
any of the political activities asked about. big issue. Students have no subsidized internet. Urban
areas have connectivity, but others don’t. Lack of
75 “Study of Youth Policies”. PILDAT. Sept 2020. development expenditure on this is a problem. The
https://pildat.org/youth1/a-study-of-youth-policies-in-pakistan
cost of internet is not in anyone’s reach
future challenges
‘ Yes 24%
The second key area that young people identify key
to their betterment is education. There is a near No 76%
unanimous view among youth that education is a
major enabler of social change.
Q64.How would you rate the career
Education helps drive change in society guidance you received at your last
T2B 87% educational institution?
B2B 5%
Base:All respondents 814
T2B Useful 83%
Good education can improve knowledge
B2B Not Useful 7%
and understanding of the world/ the way
things work
T2B 79% Educational institutes are in need of upgrading. This is
B2B 7% not just in terms of technological abilities, but also in
terms of updating their teaching approaches, allow-
Education gives the confidence to take on ing for innovation and inclusivity at all levels, and
challenging situations providing youth with the skills and learning that are
needed for today’s job environment, rather than
T2B Agree 82% teaching them outdated skills just to justify their own
presence. How the education system adapts to these
B2B Disagree 7% needs, is going to play a make-or-break role in the
future of the next generation.
Disclaimer:
Images in the report are intellectual property of British Council and Mr. Umar Farooq.