PRE EVENT ON YOUTH & WOMEN EMPLOYMENT 22 April 2014 Windhoek, Namibia 22 April Windhoek, Namibia 1

OUAGADOUGOU DECLARATION & PLAN OF ACTION ACHIEVEMENT ON YOUTH EMPLOYMENT, CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES 22 April Windhoek, Namibia 2

Background & context  9 Sept 2004 – Extraordinary Summit of African Heads of State;  Venue : Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou  THEME = Employment and poverty alleviation in Africa  Major Outcomes: – Declaration on Employment and Poverty alleviation in Africa – Plan of Action to facilitate the implementation of the declaration and mechanism for follow up and evaluation 22 April Windhoek, Namibia 3

Background & context (2) Main goal: to put employment at the centre of their economic and social policies. Main concerns: Policy development, adoption or review of reforms, promotion of PPP, investment, social responsibilities of corporations, enabled environment, health issues, etc. Main targeted groups: African Women, young people, poor, rural, vulnerable, disabled populations, refugees, etc. 22 April Windhoek, Namibia 4

Achievements in implementing the Declaration 2004 (ref. Report) About 40 countries reported on improving employment through various policies, reforms, some specific actions and initiatives (credits, training, entrepreneuship promotion…; Four RECs (ECOWAS, SADC, EAC and IGAD) developed codes, policies, strategies facilitating access to labour market, and procedures on Labour & employment, etc…. Partners (Ilo, AfDB, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNIDO, UNAIDS, and more) are involved at national, regional & continental levels in funding policies developments, some initiatives, conferences, workshops, providing technical support for documentation, data, and other areas of focus. 22 April Windhoek, Namibia 5

Achievements in implementing the Declaration 2004 (Ref. Report) AUC: in cordination role of Members States engagement organised the required workshops, conferences and various technical meetings, proposed for adoption key instruments, frameworks collected data and relevant information and reported AU leaders pursue political support in adopting decisions & declarations calling for pertinent strategies and actions to accelerate changes et reach the set objectives. 22 April Windhoek, Namibia 6

Key priority areas of improvement (Ref. report) Formulation of national employment policies and strategies; Development and adoption of codes related to labour, employment at regional level to harmonize employment policies, market protocols and other related legal concerns; Promotion of agricultural sector and rural development in many countries and various ways; Improving and strengthening social protection schemes; Utilising key sectors with high employment potential to generate more jobs and on targeting and empowering vulnerable groups; 22 April Windhoek, Namibia 7

Areas with less progress – (Ref. Report) Absence of appropriate framework for the integration and harmonization of economic and social policies; Capacity building for institutions in charge of employment promotion and poverty alleviation and Mobilization of resources at national, regional and international levels (weak resource allocations). IN ADDITION: African Women, young people, poor, rural, vulnerable, disabled populations, refugees are not visible in the reports. No real impact in reducing poverty of targeted people. 22 April Windhoek, Namibia 8

What level of engagement from Youth & Women in the report ? Passive benefiaries Policies (codes, procedures, protocols, access to market, etc.) Projects and programmes & National Youth Service (NYS). Micro finance / credits access to financing, Training, and skills development for youth, Social Insertion/inclusion Joint Initiative on Youth Employment Actors in decision or reflection & action Review of National Youth Policy & alignment with the National Employment Policy Framework and the African Youth Charter. (Zambia and Zimbabwe); Creating opportunities for voluntary service and skills development for young people; Changes towards Women participating in decision making arenas are still low or weak (re: reports); 22 April Windhoek, Namibia 9

How can youth & women actively and inclusively participate at all levels?  The statistics (high awareness of proportion of youth and women in Africa) are not big issues because globally known  Youth are the solutions – Women are opportunities  Reaching the Demographic Dividend is not negotiable  Few recommendations on effective strategies (the how) -Youth & Women active and meaningful participation in processes -Youth & Women mainstreamed in all policies, programmes, etc. -Rights-based approaches to youth and women development, -Capacity building, Knowledge & skills development in targeted areas, -Entrepreneurship promotion, Job creation strategies and mentorship -Actively promotion of PPP & role in sustaining employment for Y & W 22 April Windhoek, Namibia 10

Few of the challenges to solve to guarantee success of a new decade for employment Mismatch between education and market demand Youth voice not heard, weak participation in decision making, weak efforts of inclusion Weak implementation of decisions and declaration; Members States not keeping promises & weak engagement in conscient acceleration of youth empowerment and employment & no sustainable engagement from all involved actors; Unavailability of adequate resource & lack of targeted efforts and need-based projects. 22 April Windhoek, Namibia 11

More challenges to be addressed in new Decade for employment Youth are under-employed – need for decent job to eradicate poverty Low productivity rate in Africa – need to increase productivitylevel among the youth Necessity to improve effectivity & efficiency of imformal economy; provide conducive environment; Promote & encourage the necessary role of Private sector in youth & women employment M/S to sustain economic growth. 22 April Windhoek, Namibia 12

Opportunities in engaging a new decade for employment in Africa High level of awareness – availability of pertinent Instruments Political commitment that leads to resource allocation Efforts to reach demographic dividend for African economic and sustainable growth; Efforts towards demand-driven training – innovative initiatives and creativity among the youth; TVET (all levels) or employment, Youth entrepreneurs, ICT, Agri- business, food processing, value chain, SME, industries to increase youth employment and poverty reduction Labour Market Information System, resource mapping Synergy in partnership, in interventions and better coordination. 22 April Windhoek, Namibia 13

ANNEX – Countries that responded Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, CAR, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, DRC, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe. 22 April Windhoek, Namibia 14

Thank you for your attention Merci de votre attention 22 April Windhoek, Namibia 15