Good Jobs for Young People

Title : Good Jobs for Young People
NGO CSW61, Parallel events
Venue: Church Centre of United Nation
Time: 2:30- 4:00 p.m

Presenters were five successful young women from Great Britain, Iceland, Nigeria and Uganda who presented their stories.
The first presenter: Wendy from England, 26 year old, social worker, help people with sexual abuse experiences, has been an activism to fight against sexual violence against girls and women

• Prostitution is not a job like any other
• Young people are targeted through Internet to be hired as prostitute.
• Sexual abuse is not only a girl's issue, boys are the unheard victims. 
• Prostitution is not a safe job
• Treat the prostitute as a survivor not as criminal

Second presenter: Rebeca from Iceland, worked for girls' rights, passionate feminist and a member of British Youth Council.

• Young women are under-represented, they are considered not be very skillful and well qualified 
• 36 percent of women are interested to work in non-traditional careers however the work environment is not female friendly
• Gender equality is a need in work environment 
• Having job was addressed as a most important tool for women's empowerment 
• World and women need more action rather than talking about women and empowerment 

Third presenter: Judie from England, student, worked for children's rights,

• Importance of first job on the improvement of young women's self-esteem
• The role of young women on the decision and performance of the board in any organization 
• The need of more women in top position jobs

Fourth presenter: Sandra from Uganda , entrepreneur, Country director of Pelere organization, and a member of YWCA

• A need for collaboration between young and older women to work together 
• women are empowered as long as they work collectively 
• leaning skills is a must for women
• financial independence has a significant impact on women's empowerment

Fifth presenter: Muna from Nigeria , entrepreneur, worked for Nigeria Youth

• women's  personal accountability to be empowered 
• Women empowerment will not gained without men support 
• Change happens from women themselves regardless of their race, religion and their nationality

The story of Sandra was really interesting and inspiring. A young women who had started her work from making soap in home and selling those to neighbors. What made her story more inspiring was the support of her mother to the oldest child of the family, Sandra. Mothers are in the front line of training their daughter/s as empowered women or disempowered one. Sandra has expanded her business to cosmetic production company. She is the director of Pelere, Live clean and Feel Clean since 2012. 

I liked her message as women should work collectively to help each other for being empowered. 

I argue that having income and being employed do not always result in empowering women. It highly depends on the context and the norms of the society. There are countries that women work, but they do not have the power to use their money. It is the male members of family who decide how to spend that money. 

Another ignored job is house work, a job with a lot of responsibilities and commitments but even without being considered as a job. 

Sandra's business card