Youth Brief

Timor-Leste is not only a young nation, but its population too is young, with 53 percent below the age of 17. Youth – counted as those aged between 12 and 29 – account for 34 percent of the population and the proportion is rising. With a fertility rate of 7.8 births per woman of childbearing age the population growth rate – currently 3.9 percent – will continue to be high unless policies family planning and health education are reinforced.

Recognizing that young people have both a lot to contribute in the current time and are also future leaders, the Timor-Leste is currently developing a National Youth Policy as a framework for youth development across the country. 

Key Sector Issues

For youth ages 12-17, the key issue is the ability to continue and complete general education. Access to education is particularly difficult for those youth living in relatively poor families, and especially for girls in such families. 

For youth ages 18-29, the key issue is gainful employment. This group is unlikely to continue with formal education and their current level of education (mostly primary) is insufficient to joint the formal labor market or to create productive self-employment. In 2001, unemployment rates in Dili and Baucau were 43 percent for 15 to 24 year olds, and 17 percent for 24 to 34 year olds. These rates have undoubtedly increased since then.

For youth of all age groups there are increasing concerns regarding social issues as "risky" behavior is growing – unsafe sexual habits, reckless driving, criminality, etc. A high fraction of male youth is involved in martial arts groups and they are increasingly involved in violent altercations and acting like gangs.

World Bank Program

The Bank, in collaboration with UNICEF, is providing support to the development of the National Youth policy. Related analytical work includes participatory social analysis of youth issues, research on labor market insertion, youth unemployment, and related skills development. This is being conducted in close cooperation with ongoing sector work on population.

In addition to ongoing health and education programs, which tackle issues and concerns of the youth, the Bank provides targeted assistance to youth through a post-conflict fund “Building Leadership Capacity through Economic Development (LED) Project”. The project’s main goals are: to build trust (or social capital) among urban youth groups and youth-at-risk, to engage in policy dialogue with Government and their community leaders, and build other positive social networks; and to support young people through peer-to-peer non-formal training sessions – to strengthen self confidence and a sense of identity, and learn to value positive expressions of cooperation and teamwork. This is being accomplished through two processes:

1. Facilitating productive partnerships through a leadership, consensus building, and collective decision-making program which fosters social capital and reconciliation between youth and other key stakeholders, and
2. Empowering youth by expanding the assets and capabilities of young people to participate in, negotiate with, influence, control, and hold accountable institutions that affect their lives, through a social skills development and communication program.
   The immediate objective of the project is to enhance the capacity of young women and men particularly in rural areas and urban periphery to participate in the development process, including the participation in the National Youth Policy formulation process. 

In addition, the Bank meets on a monthly basis with district Youth Council Leaders to support dialogue and training on themes that have included business development, governance, and corruption issues, and access to information on the internet. By tapping into the Bank’s Global Distance Learning Network, the monthly meeting helps sharing cross country experiences in the region. Funds for this monthly activity have been made available from the Vice President’s Contingency funds to support training. The Youth Council Leaders have participated in the ongoing consultations for the World Development Report on Youth.

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