Advancing Economic Citizenship For Children And Youth In Sub-Saharan

— Advancing Economic Citizenship for Children and Youth in Sub-Saharan Africa is a publication jointly prepared and published by Child & Youth Finance International (CYFI) and UN Habitat —

There are currently 1.8 billion young people in the world, 87% of which live in developing countries. Young people aged 15 to 24 are the most economically vulnerable, as they often lack economic opportunities and are disproportionally affected by poverty, unemployment and financial illiteracy. Youth worldwide are frequently being denied access to formal financial services and less than 5% of them have savings accounts.

This prolongs and deepens youth poverty. CYFI and UN Habitat believe that financial inclusion and education are key factors for youth to escape poverty, take advantage of livelihood opportunities and achieve their full potential as economic citizens.

This publication focuses on the demographic challenges and opportunities for youth in sub-Saharan Africa and the numerous initiatives taken in the region to advance their economic citizenship through financial inclusion and education. Inclusive economic growth is a key development goal of many governments in Africa and, as a result of the continent’s high proportion of youth, policies are increasingly being designed to meet the needs of young people.

However, it is key that national authorities start linking financial inclusion and education strategies in order to promote their economic citizenship and reduce their risk of poverty. This publication provides detailed case studies on such national initiatives in Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe and outlines recommendations for policy makers in the region.

You can access the publication through the following link: http://unhabitat.org/books/advancing-economic-citizenship-for-children-and-youth-in-sub-saharan-africa%20

For more information on our work to advance the rights of children and youth: http://childfinanceinternational.org/