
Introduction
“I’m not bossy. I am the boss.”- Ban Bossy
South Africa’s youth are central to the growth and development of the country. But they are also the most likely to be unemployed. In fact, youth between the ages of 15 to 34 years make up over two thirds of unemployed people in the country in the last 10 years. [1]
It’s no surprise, then, that poverty is high among youth. And poverty makes it harder to access services like education, healthcare and housing. So women and girls living in poverty won’t have the resources that they might need to find jobs or even stay healthy. Dealing with these issues is really hard, and it often leads adolescent girls and young women to turn to alcohol and other substances, as well as risky sexual behaviours (like relationships with sugar daddies or blessers). And this puts them more at risk of HIV and gender-based violence.
Being unemployed, or having few chances to progress, can lead to many other risks and problems. For this reason, it’s important for young people to get access to jobs and career development.

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