We are celebrating the International Youth Day the young women of Africa!

Happy International Youth Day the young women of Africa! Education is an excellent tool for youth empowerment.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a profound shock to our societies. In addition to the health crisis, it has disrupted education, livelihoods and social lives, increased care burden and led to rising levels of violence against women at home and in communities.

For youth, many of these impacts will be long-lasting and multi-dimensional. For example, 191 countries have implemented nationwide or localized school closures with 1.5 billion people not being able to go to school. The closures are expected to impact not only learning, but access to free or low-cost nutritional meals and essential social services and support. Even before the pandemic, globally 77 per cent of youth were estimated to be informally employed. Small entrepreneurs and those employed in the informal sectors are among the hardest hit by the economic shocks of COVID-19.

Youth are also leaders at the forefront of the crisis, pushing for equality, justice and dignity for all. Around the world, feminist youth and women’s organizations are supporting the design and implementation of response and recovery programmes. They are combating misinformation through grassroots campaigns, volunteering to support the elderly and vulnerable populations, and inventing inclusive solutions.

On International Youth Day, 12 August 2020, UN Women celebrates and recognizes the contributions of youth around the world, particularly during these difficult times of COVID-19.

The theme of International Youth Day 2020, “Youth Engagement for Global Action”, highlights all the ways that young people are enriching institutions, contributing solutions and shaping decisions in their communities, countries and globally.