Aiding India’s progress with choice, control and capital, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• India has the largest youth population (371 million aged 15–29), creating both a challenge and an opportunity.
• Child marriage has declined but still affects 23.3% of girls; teenage pregnancies remain at 7%, with higher rates in some states.
• 36% of Indian adults face unintended pregnancies; 30% have unmet reproductive goals (UNFPA, 2025).
• Projects like Udaan, Advika, and Manzil have demonstrated success in reducing child marriage, early pregnancies, and boosting women's employment.
• Project Udaan prevented 30,000 child marriages and enabled 15,000 girls to avoid early pregnancies.
• Project Manzil trained 28,000 young women; 16,000 gained dignified employment in skilled professions.

Detailed Insights:

• Youth-focused investments in health, education, and employment can unlock a $1 trillion GDP boost by 2030 (NITI Aayog, World Bank).
• India must uphold the International Conference on Population and Development (1994) promise to ensure informed choices in sexual and reproductive health.
• Structural issues such as gender inequality, social norms, and access barriers still constrain young women’s autonomy.
• Regional disparities in child marriage and adolescent fertility highlight the need for targeted interventions.
• Empowerment requires a multi-sectoral strategy combining education, contraception, mental health, and skill-building.
• Economic empowerment leads to improved negotiation power, delayed marriages, and greater reproductive agency.
• Holistic programmes need rights-based, community-driven approaches backed by conditional incentives and behavioural change.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Reproductive Autonomy: The ability to make informed decisions about reproduction without coercion.
• Demographic Dividend: Economic growth potential from a larger working-age population, if supported by policies.
• Unmet Reproductive Goals: When individuals are unable to have children as per their fertility aspirations, either fewer or more.