By Crystal Huntley, Economist at Nedbank Group
Youth unemployment in South Africa, particularly among young women, profoundly impacts our country’s potential. As of the second quarter of 2024, South Africa’s youth unemployment rate reached a staggering 46.6% among those aged 15-34, significantly higher than the national average of 33.5%. This statistic not only highlights a crisis but reflects the intense challenges young women face, with their unemployment rate escalating to 49.4% in 2024.
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 programs 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 programs, 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 summary, while the challenges are daunting, the potential for meaningful change is significant. Let’s commit to actions that genuinely empower young women and enhance the fabric of our entire society.
