Advancing decent work for and social justice for rural youth in Namibia
The rural-based young people in Namibia came under the spotlight at a symposium organized by the Bank of Namibia titled, “Transformation of the Rural Economy in Namibia,” which aimed to unravel the state of the rural economy and its impact on the overall economy and youth.
19 October 2023
(ILO News, Windhoek) Namibia, like many other countries in Africa, the rural economy holds significant potential for creating decent and productive jobs and eradicating poverty, ensuring food security, and achieving social justice.
According to the World Bank (2023), about 51.04 percent of Namibia’s population lives in cities and urban areas, with 48.96 percent in rural areas. The country’s poverty and inequalities are largely driven by decent work deficits in rural areas which disproportionately affects young people and women.
Revitalizing rural areas in Namibia to strengthen the connection between rural and urban economies can spur growth and diversify the farm and non-farm sectors to contribute towards poverty reduction. Rural areas have the potential to drive the transformation of food systems and overall livelihoods.
From left to right:
Dr Emma Haiyambo – Director - Research and Financial Sector Development Department, Bank of Namibia; Ms Leonie Dunn – Deputy Governor, Bank of Namibia; Mr. Ebson Uanguta – Deputy Governor, Bank of Namibia; Hon. Erastus Uutoni – Minister, Rural and Urban Development, Namibia; Dr Elisenda Estruch-Puertas – Rural Economy Specialist, Sectoral Policies Department (SECTOR) – ILO; Ms. Eunice Ajambo - Economist & Development Coordination Officer UN NAMIBIA; Mr. Johannes Gawaxab - Governor, Bank of Namibia; Ms. Serufo Ntsabane – Director, Rural Development, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Botswana; Mr. Titus Endjala – Director: Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, Namibia
It is in this regard that the Bank of Namibia hosted its Annual Symposium on the 5 October 2023 in Windhoek under the theme “Transformation of the rural economy in Namibia”. The Symposium has become a platform at which issues of national economic development are investigated, analysed, and deliberated on, in support of the national development plans. The Symposium placed a specific focus on building an understanding of the rural economy in Namibia; learning lessons from other countries on improving the economy of rural communities through skills development, job creation and income generating activities and how to improve governance, policies, and institutions for rural economic development coordination.
In presenting an ILO paper on ‘’Boosting rural economies through decent work and social justice in Namibia– lessons from other countries.” Elisenda Estruch Puertas, ILO’s Rural Economy Specialist, Sectoral Policies Department (SECTOR), emphasized the need to boost rural economies through a rights-based and integrated approach. It requires prioritizing investments in rural areas towards skills development, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure, improving working conditions and occupational safety and health as well as highlighting the importance of social dialogue to give employers and all workers a voice.
Despite improved levels of education and training, young men and women in rural areas continue to suffer disproportionately from insufficient decent job opportunities and end-up in the informal economy. There are growing concerns about youth unemployment, especially the increase of youth not in education, employment, or training (NEETs), including in rural areas.
Speaking on the rural economy at the symposium, Ji-Yeun Rim, Policy Analyst at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Centre and focusing on the food economy said that it holds potential to provide employment and economic opportunities to rural young people in Namibia. She said that the food economy job forecast for 2030 for 11 African countries shows that 115 million jobs could be created in the food economy by 2030, an 20% increase from 2019. That represents 12 million additional jobs in agriculture and 8 million in the downstream segments.
Jobs in the food economy are often informal and vulnerable. Youth working in this sector are more exposed to informal employment than adults, compared to youth in other sectors. In Namibia 73.4% of youth employed in the food economy are informal, compared to 68% of youth working in non-food economy sectors.
“Jobs in food economies can be created if investments in local food systems are made adequately and in a manner that consolidates economic, social, and environmental objectives. Supporting the development of local food systems will require integrated rural policies that go beyond a focus on agriculture policies,” she said.
Puertas also noted that even though women are the backbone of many agri-food systems and rural economies, rural women are often concentrated in low-skilled, low-productivity, informal jobs characterized by low pay, poor working conditions, and limited access to social protection. “Restrictive social norms and gender stereotypes can limit women farmers’ access to productive resources such as land or even key services such as financial services and agricultural extension services. Rural women also face barriers in accessing education, training opportunities, and employment services or business advisory support,” she said, adding that a coherent, comprehensive, and integrated policy approach is required to promote inclusive, sustainable, and resilient rural economies.
“All such policy efforts are to be anchored in international labour standards (ILS) and be supported through social dialogue’’, said Puertas. ILS are critical to ensure a rights-based approach to rural transformation. This includes ensuring the respect of fundamental principles and rights at work, including ending child and forced labour, promoting occupational safety and health (OSH) as well as the promotion of the ratification and application of international labour standards relevant to the promotion of decent work in the rural economy.
She said that accelerating the transition to formality in rural economies is key, and this requires comprehensive, innovative, and integrated approaches that include the creation, preservation and formalization of enterprises and decent jobs.
According to the World Bank (2023), about 51.04 percent of Namibia’s population lives in cities and urban areas, with 48.96 percent in rural areas. The country’s poverty and inequalities are largely driven by decent work deficits in rural areas which disproportionately affects young people and women.
Revitalizing rural areas in Namibia to strengthen the connection between rural and urban economies can spur growth and diversify the farm and non-farm sectors to contribute towards poverty reduction. Rural areas have the potential to drive the transformation of food systems and overall livelihoods.
Dr Emma Haiyambo – Director - Research and Financial Sector Development Department, Bank of Namibia; Ms Leonie Dunn – Deputy Governor, Bank of Namibia; Mr. Ebson Uanguta – Deputy Governor, Bank of Namibia; Hon. Erastus Uutoni – Minister, Rural and Urban Development, Namibia; Dr Elisenda Estruch-Puertas – Rural Economy Specialist, Sectoral Policies Department (SECTOR) – ILO; Ms. Eunice Ajambo - Economist & Development Coordination Officer UN NAMIBIA; Mr. Johannes Gawaxab - Governor, Bank of Namibia; Ms. Serufo Ntsabane – Director, Rural Development, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Botswana; Mr. Titus Endjala – Director: Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, Namibia
It is in this regard that the Bank of Namibia hosted its Annual Symposium on the 5 October 2023 in Windhoek under the theme “Transformation of the rural economy in Namibia”. The Symposium has become a platform at which issues of national economic development are investigated, analysed, and deliberated on, in support of the national development plans. The Symposium placed a specific focus on building an understanding of the rural economy in Namibia; learning lessons from other countries on improving the economy of rural communities through skills development, job creation and income generating activities and how to improve governance, policies, and institutions for rural economic development coordination.
Despite improved levels of education and training, young men and women in rural areas continue to suffer disproportionately from insufficient decent job opportunities and end-up in the informal economy. There are growing concerns about youth unemployment, especially the increase of youth not in education, employment, or training (NEETs), including in rural areas.
Speaking on the rural economy at the symposium, Ji-Yeun Rim, Policy Analyst at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Centre and focusing on the food economy said that it holds potential to provide employment and economic opportunities to rural young people in Namibia. She said that the food economy job forecast for 2030 for 11 African countries shows that 115 million jobs could be created in the food economy by 2030, an 20% increase from 2019. That represents 12 million additional jobs in agriculture and 8 million in the downstream segments.
Jobs in the food economy are often informal and vulnerable. Youth working in this sector are more exposed to informal employment than adults, compared to youth in other sectors. In Namibia 73.4% of youth employed in the food economy are informal, compared to 68% of youth working in non-food economy sectors.
“Jobs in food economies can be created if investments in local food systems are made adequately and in a manner that consolidates economic, social, and environmental objectives. Supporting the development of local food systems will require integrated rural policies that go beyond a focus on agriculture policies,” she said.
Puertas also noted that even though women are the backbone of many agri-food systems and rural economies, rural women are often concentrated in low-skilled, low-productivity, informal jobs characterized by low pay, poor working conditions, and limited access to social protection. “Restrictive social norms and gender stereotypes can limit women farmers’ access to productive resources such as land or even key services such as financial services and agricultural extension services. Rural women also face barriers in accessing education, training opportunities, and employment services or business advisory support,” she said, adding that a coherent, comprehensive, and integrated policy approach is required to promote inclusive, sustainable, and resilient rural economies.
“All such policy efforts are to be anchored in international labour standards (ILS) and be supported through social dialogue’’, said Puertas. ILS are critical to ensure a rights-based approach to rural transformation. This includes ensuring the respect of fundamental principles and rights at work, including ending child and forced labour, promoting occupational safety and health (OSH) as well as the promotion of the ratification and application of international labour standards relevant to the promotion of decent work in the rural economy.
She said that accelerating the transition to formality in rural economies is key, and this requires comprehensive, innovative, and integrated approaches that include the creation, preservation and formalization of enterprises and decent jobs.