17 Dec 2013

Many young people remain marginalised in social and economic opportunities, with limited access to essential resources such as land and employment opportunities.

When making a presentation at the 2011 population and housing census dissemination conference in Gaborone on December 17, a lecturer in population studies at the university of Botswana Mr. Mpho Keetile said this was because many young people often lacked access to information, social influence and basic rights and were often overlooked in the national development agenda.

Mr. Keetile said youth were the most vulnerable of all persons the Millennium Development Goals aimed to reach. He noted the effects of poverty, hunger, lack of education, maternal mortality, unemployment, environmental degradation or HIV/AIDS, were far greater on young people than on their older counterparts.

He said the situation needed urgent attention as it threatened to violate the principles of equality and solidarity between generations, which is an important aspect of social justice. He highlighted that while unemployment destroyed the economic and personal welfare of all those affected by it regardless of age, the destruction was most pronounced when it occurred at the fragile start of one’s working life.

Mr Keetile noted the youth were underrepresented in administrative and managerial jobs, with only one per cent of youth occupying such jobs. Government therefore should to come up with strategies of ensuring youth participation in the job market to build their portfolio as future leaders.

Furthermore government should consider youth active involvement in the agricultural sector among others to diversify the economy.

He called for more consolidated efforts by government, parastatal organisations and private sector, to take the issue of youth development aboard in all programmes and policies. ENDS