Youth in Namibia

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Youth in Namibia is defined as individuals between 16 and 30 years by the Namibia's revised National Youth Policy. This policy was created in 1993 and revised in 2006. [1] The revised policy, "emphasis[es] employment creation, financial support for young entrepreneurs and access to agricultural land" as well as including citizenship, disability rights, peace, security, education, environment, and reproductive health. [2] There are 610,437 youth in Namibia. [3] According to the preliminary results of the 2023 Housing and Population Census (HPC) from the Namibia Statistics Agency revealed that 2.1 million of total population is under 35 years of age. [4]

Contents

Legacy from apartheid

Although Namibia transitioned from apartheid to multiracial democracy in early 1990 after independence, [5] the policies from the apartheid era have left a continued legacy of significant inequalities. The burden of many of these inequalities falls on Namibian youth in terms of education, employment, poverty, and health outcomes. [6] Previous government policies in Namibia have been unfavorable for twenty-first-century youth, diminishing their ability to engage meaningfully in socio-economic and political activities of the society. Before Namibia's independence, the country's education system was designed to reinforce the Apartheid system rather than provide the necessary human resource base to promote equitable social and economic development. It was fragmented along racial and ethnic lines, in what was termed the Bantu Education system, which was also being enforced in black communities in South Africa, with vast disparities in both the allocation of resources and the quality of education offered. This had had a great impact on the quality of education in the country. During apartheid, black children in Namibia were being oppressed and exploited just like their parents. [7] Education under apartheid meant they lacked proper education, due to poorly qualified teachers and poorly funded schools. Youth frequently got arrested and detained in jail, often without trial.[ citation needed ]

Education

In 2015, the youth literacy rate for Namibia was 94.88%. Though Namibia's youth literacy rate fluctuated substantially in recent years, it tended to increase through the 1991–2015 period ending at 94.88% in 2015. [8] Nearly 21% of female youth of secondary school age are out of school compared to 19% of male youth of the same age. For the youth of secondary school age, the biggest disparity can be seen between the poorest and the richest youth. [9]

Unemployment

High rates of youth unemployment have been a prominent economic and social issue in the Namibian landscape. Youth Unemployment Rate in Namibia increased to 46.10 percent in 2018 from 43.40 percent in 2016. Microdata of Namibia Labor Force Survey 2012 Unemployment rates is 49.2% among female youths as compared to 36.1% among male youths. According to the Microdata of Namibia Labor Force Survey 2012, Youth unemployment rates of urban, 41.7% nevertheless, is lower compared to rural areas with 44.4%. [9]

Related Research Articles

The economy of Namibia has a modern market sector, which produces most of the country's wealth, and a traditional subsistence sector. Although the majority of the population engages in subsistence agriculture and herding, Namibia has more than 200,000 skilled workers and a considerable number of well-trained professionals and managerials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unemployment</span> People without work and actively seeking work

Unemployment, according to the OECD, is people above a specified age not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the reference period.

The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of about 60,000 U.S. households conducted by the United States Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS uses the data to publish reports early each month called the Employment Situation. This report provides estimates of the unemployment rate and the numbers of employed and unemployed people in the United States based on the CPS. A readable Employment Situation Summary is provided monthly. Annual estimates include employment and unemployment in large metropolitan areas. Researchers can use some CPS microdata to investigate these or other topics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NEET</span> Person who is not in education, employment, or training

A NEET, an acronym for "Not in Education, Employment, or Training", is a person who is unemployed and not receiving an education or vocational training. The classification originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1990s, and its use has spread, in varying degrees, to other countries, including Japan, South Korea, China, Serbia, Canada, and the United States. The NEET category includes the unemployed, as well as individuals outside the labour force. It is usually age-bounded to exclude people in old-age retirement.

Graduate unemployment, or educated unemployment, is unemployment among people with an academic degree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social apartheid in Brazil</span>

The term social apartheid has been used to describe various aspects of economic inequality in Brazil, drawing a parallel with the legally enforced separation of whites and blacks in South African society for several decades during the 20th-century apartheid regime.

In the United States, despite the efforts of equality proponents, income inequality persists among races and ethnicities. Asian Americans have the highest median income, followed by White Americans, Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Native Americans. A variety of explanations for these differences have been proposed—such as differing access to education, two parent home family structure, high school dropout rates and experience of discrimination and deep-seated and systemic anti-Black racism—and the topic is highly controversial.

Women's education in Pakistan is a fundamental right of every female citizen, according to article thirty-seven of the Constitution of Pakistan, but gender discrepancies still exist in the educational sector. According to the 2011 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program, approximately twice as many males as females receive a secondary education in Pakistan, and public expenditures on education amount to only 2.7% of the GDP of the country. The unemployment rate of female graduates in Pakistan is approximately 3.8 times higher than that of their male counterparts.

The social and economic changes in Thailand in the past decades have important implications for the quality and quantity of labor. The economic and non-economic roles of women in Thailand can be traced back several hundred years in Thai history, when there were traditional discriminatory attitudes towards women in the culture of Thailand. The transformation of Thailand's social and economic structure since the 1960s led to the gender disparities in Thai society. Recently, the position of Thai women in the labor market has improved a lot in comparison to the past as a result of modernization. In 2011, Thailand ranked 69th out of 143 countries in the Gender Inequality Index. In labor economics, gender inequality is widely discussed in terms of concepts of sex segregation and employment discrimination. Thai government and non-governmental organizations have put forth many policies and programs to address gender inequalities in the last few decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youth unemployment</span> Situation of young people who are willing to work but unable to find a job

Youth unemployment is a special case of unemployment; youth, here, meaning those between the ages of 15 and 24.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Female labor force in the Muslim world</span> Involvement of Muslim women in labor

Female participation and advancement in majority Muslim countries, or nations in which more than 50% of the population identifies as an adherent of the Islamic faith, have traditionally been areas of controversy. Several Western nations, such as the United States and Western Europe, have criticised majority Muslim nations for the lack of involvement and opportunity for women in the private sector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youth in Uganda</span> Overview about children and adolescents in Uganda

Youth in Uganda are the youngest population in the world, with 77% of its population being under 25 years of age. There are 7,310,386 youth from the ages of 15–24 years of age living in Uganda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youth in Brazil</span> Brazilian younger generation ranging from 15–35 years age

Youth in Brazil includes Brazilians aged 15 to 24 or 33, depending on the definition of youth. Youth account for 16.5% of the population in Brazil which is, 202,656,788 people. There are 16,993,708 male youth and 16,521,057 female youth in Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youth in South Africa</span>

Youth in South Africa constituted 37% of the population in 2010, numbering 19.1 million individuals. South Africa's National Youth Commission Act, 1996, defines youth as those from ages 15-34 years. Like many other developing countries, South Africa's population as a whole is quite young. The elevated level of youth population is expected to exist for the next 20–30 years; the large proportion of working-age population presents South Africa with a time period of opportunity for human capital and economic development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youth in the Dominican Republic</span>

Youth in the Dominican Republic constitutes just over 30% of the total population. The Dominican Republic's population at roughly eleven million people has grown tremendously with the help of the youth population. In 1960, the youth population was at 3.3 million, and by 2008, it had reached 9.5 million, with two thirds of them in urban areas of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youth in Hong Kong</span>

Youth in Hong Kong, according to the University of Hong Kong Statistical Profile, comprises citizens of the Chinese territory of Hong Kong aged 15–24 years. As of 2011, youth in Hong Kong ages 15–24 made up 12.4 per cent of Hong Kong's overall population at 875,200 people. Hong Kong is a hybrid culture, influenced by China and Britain, but overall by its international economic ties and neoliberal policies, which plays a role in shaping the lives of the youth in Hong Kong. The youth in Hong Kong is unique in the fact that many are living Transnationalist identities. The demographics are not just ethnically Chinese youth in Hong Kong, but also youth that are ethnically white, Indonesian, Filipino, which can be seen in Demographics of Hong Kong, and that creates a unique society. "Although with a dominant Chinese population, Hong Kong is an international city and is a mix of East and West rich in cultures, history, and religions." The disparity between the rich and poor within Hong Kong has been growing wider.

Job creation and unemployment are affected by factors such as aggregate demand, global competition, education, automation, and demographics. These factors can affect the number of workers, the duration of unemployment, and wage rates.

Cambodia remains on the list of developing countries, despite recent economic growth. Although Cambodia is undergoing significant urbanization. Cambodia has made progress in combating poverty, and many citizens have risen just above the poverty line

Unemployment has been a serious social issue in China in recent years, regarding both an increase in quantity and an unequal impact on different social regions. The influence of foreign investment in China has greatly increased since the Open Door Policy was implemented in the early 1980s. The relationship between foreign-funded enterprises and urban labor market development is dual. Opponents influence the shape of labor-market regulation; however, foreign-funded enterprises have also become a major source of demand for urban and rural areas migrant workers. Demographic factors also affect unemployment in China, such as age and sex. The position of women in the labor market has been deteriorating, with a decline in labor force participation rate, rising unemployment, increased work intensity and a widening gender pay gap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unemployment in South Korea</span> Overview of unemployment in South Korea

The unemployment rate in the Republic of Korea as of December 2021 is 3.7 percent. Since its rapid globalization and democratization, the unemployment rate has been comparatively low compared to most OECD countries. This remains the case as of 2021. Being Asia’s fourth-largest economy, the country's booming exports have helped to maintain the unemployment rate very low by the standards of developed countries. There are several measurement differences between the standard of measurement set by the International Labour Organisation and the official measurement of unemployment in the Republic of Korea, set by Statistics Korea, that contribute to an inflated unemployment rate when compared to other countries that abide more strictly by the standard set by the International Labour Organisation.

References

  1. ↑ Hartman, Adam (30 June 2017). "Youth development needs more attention". The Namibian . p. 8.
  2. ↑ "Namibia | Factsheets | Youthpolicy.org". www.youthpolicy.org. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  3. ↑ "Labour Force 2012 Basic Report" (PDF). Cloud Front.
  4. ↑ Matthys, Donald (14 March 2024). "Youth Takeover – 2,1m of population under 35". The Namibian. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  5. ↑ "Remembering Dirk Mudge, Pioneer of Multiracial Democracy in Namibia". Council on Foreign Relations.
  6. ↑ Khan, M. Muslim (2009). "Namibiaan Experiment with Democracy". The Indian Journal of Political Science. 70 (2): 591–610. JSTOR   42743918 – via JSTOR.
  7. ↑ "Foreword (PDF)". oxfamilibrary.openrepository.com. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  8. ↑ "Namibia Youth literacy rate, 1970-2021". knoema.com. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  9. 1 2 "Labour Force 2012 Basic Report" (PDF). nsa.org.na. Government of Namibia.


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