Empowering young women: Breaking cycles of poverty and unemployment in South Africa

Aug 29, 2024 10:59:18 AM

"Addressing this imbalance requires tailored interventions. We need programmes that not only create jobs but also consider the unique barriers faced by young women. These initiatives must provide access to relevant education, skills development, and career opportunities."

By Crystal Huntley, Economist at Nedbank Group

During Women's Month, it's important to honour the spirit of the 1956 Women's March against oppressive laws and to continue their legacy by addressing today's pressing issues. Youth unemployment in South Africa, with a particular focus on the disproportionate challenges faced by our young women, deeply impacts our country’s potential.

In the second quarter of 2024, South Africa’s youth unemployment rate hit an alarming 46.6% among those aged 15 - 34, starkly higher than the national average of 33.5%. This rate is not just a number but a reflection of a deep-seated crisis that affects over half of our young population trying to enter the workforce. However, the plight intensifies for young women, whose unemployment rate soared to 49.4% in 2024, an increase from 46.1% just two decades earlier.

Young women in our workforce face a dual challenge: systemic gender biases coupled with the broader crisis of youth unemployment. Despite strides in gender equality, the labour market remains unfavourable to women, exhibiting large gender gaps in employment opportunities and conditions. Women’s participation is often limited by lower access to education and vocational training, societal norms about gender roles and the overwhelming burden of unpaid domestic responsibilities.

While education should theoretically bridge the gap to employment, the labour force participation rate for young women remains significantly lower than for men. This gap indicates that even with education, women find fewer opportunities and face greater obstacles in securing employment. In rural areas, where educational and job opportunities are even scarcer, these issues are magnified.

The economic and societal implications of not addressing female youth unemployment are profound. When young women are unemployed, we lose out on potential leaders, innovators, and contributors to our economy. We risk perpetuating cycles of poverty and exclusion that could be mitigated by empowering this segment of our population.

Addressing this imbalance requires tailored interventions. We need programmes that not only create jobs but also consider the unique barriers faced by young women. These initiatives must provide access to relevant education, skills development, and career opportunities. Moreover, they should offer support structures that consider the realities of young women's lives, including mentorship programmes, childcare support, and flexible work arrangements.

As much as we need organisations, governments, and civil society to come together, create the policies and establish the frameworks needed to build an environment conducive for young women to not only succeed but to thrive we cannot be complacent!

It is reassuring to sit back and view the plight of young women as something that is beyond our control or something an institution at large or government needs to address. But by virtue of us sitting here means: (1) we are employed and (2) we have overcome certain challenges to be here.

So, my challenge to you today is this:

Accept that the challenges faced by women are far from being overcome and that already established institutions were not created with the female reality in mind
Ask yourself, what biases do I hold with respect to gender roles?
Then finally, after you have done the introspection, ask yourself how can I show up empathically and how can I empower those young women around me?

Mahatma Gandhi said: "We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”

In conclusion, the challenges are significant, but the opportunities for impactful change are even greater. Let us honour the legacy of those who marched in 1956 not just with commemorative events but with actionable commitments that empower our young women. Let’s pledge to make tangible changes in ourselves and in the way we show up that will not only benefit young women but enhance the fabric of our entire society.

Read the the Women's Month 2024 edition of Public Sector Leaders