How can more and more girls have access to secondary education in the StateIJ” was the concern raised by young tribal boys and girls from the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), Bhubaneswar, to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the International Youth Day on Monday.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) facilitated live discussions of 25 selected tribal students of the KISS with the UN Secretary-General and heads of UN entities. The UNFPA is partnering with the KISS for promoting life skills-based sexual and reproductive health for adolescents in Odisha. The boys and girls also raised several issues relating to the education of girl child to the UN Secretary-General and a team of panelists consisting of heads of UN entities.
In the live discussions through a videoconference, about 125 young people from five schools, one each from Asia, Africa, Middle East, latin America and Europe, were connected to the UN Headquarters in New York. The KISS was selected to represent the Asia continent. Several issues and concerns relating to education, health, governance, livelihood, employment and science were raised by the youths from around the world.
Working with women and young people is one of the top five priorities of the UN in 2013. The UN aims to address the needs of the largest generation of young people the world has ever known by deepening the youth focus of existing programmes on employment, entrepreneurship, political inclusion, citizenship and protection of rights and education, including on reproductive health.
Three KISS students Bahelin Minz, Haraprasad Heproka and Nanda Kishore Patra discussed on life skills-based sexuality education and tribal girl child education at the higher secondary level.
Among others, UNFPA State Programme Officer Odisha Dr Deepa Prasad, KISS CEO Dr Prasant Kumar Routray and KIIT University Registrar Dr Sasmitarani Samanta were also present on the occasion.