Throughout the world, young people contribute their ideas and energy by starting businesses, leading organizations, volunteering, and addressing some of the biggest global problems. However, far too many youth don’t have access to the opportunities they need to get by, much less reach their full potential. A new video animation highlights global statistics while underscoring the need for greater investment in youth economic opportunities.
Our Young World, created by IYF in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation—offers five key recommendations for supporting youth to thrive:
If you come from the Arab region, you will no doubt recognize the term "Khattaba”—the word used to describe the traditional matchmaker who helps a young man find a bride. The Khattaba looks for certain qualifications in the bride-to-be that have been set by the groom or his mother, and holds complete discretion in determining a potential bride’s suitability. The brides have very little say in their futures. And when the marriage struggles or fails, the Khattaba is often blamed for poor judgment.
The access and opportunities that help many of us get ahead in life are not equally available to those living in under-resourced communities. Structural racial, ethnic, gender, and economic inequities in these communities often stand in the way of the dream of business ownership, and the independence and self-reliance that can come with being entrepreneurial.
The American dream is built on the promise of upward social mobility. In the middle of the 20th century, rates of upward mobility improved across the socioeconomic spectrum. But over the course of the past 30 years, the vast majority of our population has seen mobility rates stagnate.For too many, the American dream has stalled.
Opening doors to economic opportunity requires keys.
But how often do we pause to ask our young people about what keys they need to succeed?
Well, the Citi Foundation asked. Through our 2017 Global Youth Survey, conducted by Ipsos, we gauged the economic prospects of 7,000 youth in 43 global cities. We wanted to understand, if given the platform to express themselves, what would young people say about what is needed to help them advance in today’s economy?
This post is the first in a series examining youth-inclusive market systems (YIMS), which is IYF’s newest approach to improving youth economic opportunity.
New US$60 million World Bank project to link marginalized youth with opportunities, while promoting entrepreneurs and businesses as engines of job creation
Africa is home to over 275 million girls under the age of 18. According to UNICEF’s projections, while most regions will have a similar or smaller number of girls by 2030, the number of African girls will grow by 30 percent between 2015 and 2030. These statistics tell us that there is an urgent need to deepen our investments and efforts to improve the lives of young women and girls, especially the most vulnerable ones.
Carin Boersma does not shy away from controversies. She does not uncritically accept contemporary trends. Microfinance? Better be careful! Transferable skills? No, very focused practical training is much more effective! And instead of connecting to existing value chains, it is much better to deter-mine your own path. An inspiring interview with Oxfam’s Global Learning Expert about getting away from the beaten track.
