Youth Day is observed in Cape Verde every June 1 as a public holiday to emphasize the contribution of young people to the country's development and to highlight the challenges they face. The date coincides with the International Day for Protection of Children. With a young population—28.7% aged 0 to 14 years and 19.64% aged 15 to 24 years—Youth Day aims to address issues such as low college education rates and high youth unemployment, which has exceeded 20% in recent years. The government adopted a national youth policy in 2009 to improve the well-being of children and young people, coordinated by the Directorate of Youth within the Ministry for Youth, Employment and Human Resource Development. Various cultural events are organized on this day, focusing on children and youth, although many businesses remain open.