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EMPOWERING AT RISK YOUTHS (YOUNG WOMEN) THROUGH SKILLS TRAINING IN UGANDA
S
— BY SHE UNIT UGANDA
he Unit Uganda a women empowerment
past several decades, the problem is particularly
organization that was founded in 2018
acute where women rates of schooling fall below
by Namusaazi Christine has greatly
the national average. Only six girls are enrolled
impacted the lives of many and it still continues
in school for every ten boys enrolled (Ref:
to empower at risk youths around Uganda,
international centre for research on women)
founded with a mission of creating financially independent women in Uganda, She Unit
The main causes of school dropout and
Uganda has provided free cosmetology trainings
teenage pregnancy are social economic status,
that is hairdressing, makeup and nails and also
reproductive ignorance, peer influence and low
free trainings in making of liquid soap, shampoo
educational expectations.
and conditioner to young women for a period of 3 years.
We therefore do believe that these girls need an opportunity to redefine their future, dropping
At risk youths refer to youths who are less likely
out of school should never hinder a girl child
to successfully transition into adulthood, success
from being successful, this makes it also a way
can mean success, job readiness as well as the
we can achieve gender equality. Women need
ability to be financially independent, there are
to participate in the economic development
so many categories of at risk youths but with
of the nation if we are to achieve equality and
our mission, we are focusing on female school
no woman should be left behind. All should be
dropouts and teenage mothers.
given opportunities and therefore as we focus on empowering women in all aspects of life.
WHY EMPOWER FEMALE SCHOOL DROPOUTS ABD TEENAGE MOTHERS
Women who never went to school should also be considered and recognized. By providing free skills training, we want
In most places around the world, girls are now
everyone to be given an opportunity to engage
just as likely as boys to be enrolled in primary
in the economic development of the country
school, this however is not the case in many
regardless of the level of education.
countries across the sub-Saharan Africa, where girls remain behind boys, particularly at the
Also providing skills training will help extend the
secondary level, In west Nile, Uganda, a sub
time which girls get their first pregnancy because
region that has been ravaged with conflict in the
not being actively involved in education has
30 DECEMBER 2021