Discrimination starts at home: A brief on parents' aspirations for adolescents and youth in Pakistan

Parents play a critical role in socializing their children and passing on essential information and life skills. The attitudes of parents help determine what young boys and girls do in life, and how they utilize opportunities and develop the skills necessary to make a comfortable transition into adulthood. This brief is based on interviews with Pakistani parents and describes their aspirations, which are likely to influence the lives of young people. More young people aged 15–24 live in Pakistan now than at any other time in its history—an estimated 36 million in 2004. Recognizing the dearth of information on the situation of this large group of young people, the Population Council undertook a nationally representative survey from October 2001 to March 2002. The analysis presented here comes from Adolescents and Youth in Pakistan 2001–02: A Nationally Representative Survey. The survey sought information from youth aged 15–24, responsible adults in the household, and other community members in 254 communities. A total of 6,585 households were visited and 8,074 young people were interviewed.