This report responds to the growingconcern over issues facing Maldivian youth today, andspecifically, to a request made by the Ministry of Youth andSports to examine the status of youth in the Maldives. Suchconcerns are certainly warranted, particularly in light of aregional youth bulge which is taking place in South Asia, aswell as an observed increase in at risk behavior such asyouth drug use and membership in gangs. While a number ofstudies have sought to examine youth issues in the Maldives,a comprehensive and holistic assessment is lacking. Thisreport was aimed at helping to fill this knowledge gap.This report examines issues affecting young people in theMaldives as they transition from adolescence to adulthood,and based on this analysis and a review of internationalgood practice, recommends a number of actions for theGovernment s consideration. The analysis focused on youthexperiences as they pertain to: health, education, labor,family structure, gangs and violence, and civic engagementand participation.A youth development framework, based onpublic health literature and adapted to the Maldives, servesas the organizing structure of the report. The report drawson original data collection and analysis, as well as anextensive review of existing literature. With regard to datacollection, the study involved field-based researchincluding a household survey and in-depth interviews, andfocus-group discussions with youth and stakeholders in the Maldives.
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