Accelerating youth enterprise growth programme

Why this is important 

According to the International Labour Organization, the global unemployment figure will cross 200 million people next year, with women and youth workers worst-hit. In Pakistan, unemployment among youth is augmented by illiteracy, gender discrimination, socio economic inequality and contraction in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Furthermore, youth from marginalised communities face systemic barriers further deepened due to COVID 19. There is a lack of access in the following areas: 

• Skills/Digital skills training 
  Youth face challenges of limited access to quality skills training, lack of interaction with industry and outdated institutional infrastructure. The pandemic also highlighted the digital divide as digital skills have become essential. The extremely low level of digital literacy presses for a systemic need to build an ecosystem for entrepreneurs with good quality, employment, entrepreneurship and digital skills training.  

• Support groups/Networks for young entrepreneurs
  Young entrepreneurs, especially women, need networks to actively support in strategic planning, building external alliances and are crucial sources to understand customer needs. The lack of peer networks, platforms for youth voices to be heard and socio-economic barriers hinder the rise of youth-led businesses.  

• Lack of access to markets, especially for women  
  Additionally, the youth in Pakistan face challenges accessing markets and suffer from poor mobility options even in major cities like Karachi. Specifically for women, the lack of inaccessible and unsafe transportation hinders their economic inclusion.  

While there is a recognition of the need for youth employment and its growth and stability, little has been done to address systematic barriers to mobility. This is an opportunity to engage stakeholders and the Government to present feasible solutions to increase women participation in the workforce in Pakistan.