Youth employment, India

 

Adolescent girls and boys from resettlement colonies on the outskirts of Delhi work in exploitative conditions. Long hours, low pay, little or no social security, few holidays, disrespect, harassment and exposure to harmful or dangerous materials are common.

Young women face extra challenges, generally earning below minimum wage and being vulnerable to physical and mental harassment. Many families in these colonies originate from states where gender inequity is common practice, with no investment in girls’ education or social and economic empowerment.

This vocational training and life skills project aims to significantly increase the employment rate among girls and boys from poor and excluded families in five resettlement colonies. Special measures are taken to prepare young women and their families for safe, decent employment – at least 1,600 girls are expected to find a suitable job. All stakeholders (particularly target families, communities, and potential employers) will be made aware of the importance of girls’ economic empowerment and will be encouraged to support them.