Securing the Future: Land Rights for Rural Youth

Lack of employment, lack of access to land, and low income are the main reasons cited by rural youth for migrating. Inheritance traditions/laws imply that young people must wait for many years before having control of the land. This has affected women much more. Moreover, in rural Asia farm sizes have become highly fragmented, rendering further subdivision among living heirs highly impractical.

Going further to empower youth, capacity building by building solidarity between rural and urban youth will be strengthened. As one of youth’s uniqueness, their higher mobility compared to other age groups needs to be channeled and used through rural-urban youth connections. This connection is a result of stronger solidarity where they can also gain knowledge, skills, networks, and confidence, among others.

The rural-urban platform will start with both groups knowing more about the problems and challenges faced in both settings. It is a learning space for urban youth to build their critical awareness of social problems in rural areas. It's critical to ensure the inclusion of rural youth in land governance towards sustainable rural development in Asia region. The empowerment of rural youth will hopefully help alleviate poverty, promote decent rural livelihoods, and enhance food sovereignty. Empowered youth means that their knowledge and skills are enhanced, while at the same time, they grow into a critical, proactive, and empathetic individual.