Marking the International Youth Day 2018 in Tanzania: “Safe spaces for Youth”

Dar es Salaam (ILO News) Tanzania joined other countries in the world to mark the International Youth Day from 10th to 12th August 2018, with the theme “Safe Spaces for Youth”. Among the activities undertaken, mainly by youth, included – tree planting, cleaning campaign, one day symposium, processions and exhibitions.

Officiating at the climax day, Hon. Anthony Mavunde, Deputy Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Labour, Youth, Employment and Persons with Disability, said that youth are an important resource as they contribute greatly to the country’s social economic development. He indicated that according to the UN State of World Population report 2014, the number of young people was 1.8 billion among the total of 7.5 billion worldwide, whereas in Tanzania there are 15.6 m among a population of 44.9 m., equivalent to 35%. (2012 Population census).

“…We are therefore obliged to create safe environment for our young people in terms of their health, safety at work, accountability, openness, honesty, love and respect, and their participation in various development activities…” he said.

He added that as Tanzania is aspiring to become a semi-industrialized country, the Government has been taking various initiatives to ensure equal opportunities among youth especially in their participation in political and economic activities.

As regards the youth unemployment scourge, Hon Mavunde said, “…the Government continues to create employment opportunities for the young people through skills training, formalizing their businesses and supporting them in obtaining financial resources for establishing or improving their businesses e.g. obtaining interest free loans…”

At the same occasion, the UNFPA Resident Representative, Ms. Jacquiline Mahon, emphasized on the Agency’s intention of ensuring that young people are effectively involved in the implementation of various programmes as key to attaining Vision 2025 objectives, enhancing transforming Tanzania into a semi- industrialized country and achieving the SDGs by 2030.

“…We should consider youth as key partners in development, and therefore they should be actively involved in planning, implementation and monitoring of development activities…” she said.

She further urged the Government and other partners to formulate policies and strategies to enable youth to fully participate in economic, social and political activities thereby contribute to the achievement of the national development agenda.

On his part, Mr. Wellington Chibebe, Director, ILO Country Office for East Africa, echoed on this year’s theme and emphasized that, safe spaces ensure the dignity and safety of youth, engaging in governance issues; interacting virtually, among others; thus enabling them to effectively contribute to socioeconomic development.

“…Subjecting youth to unsafe environment especially at adolescence, can create huge educational, physical, psychological, and social barriers, that impede them from competing successfully for decent jobs…” he said.

He urged employers and all workplaces to ensure safety for the young workers through thorough checking of machinery, equipment and premises, youth workers to observe laws and regulations and identification of young workers at risk through research. As regards curbing the youth unemployment problem in the country, Mr. Chibebe emphasized on the need for implementing quality apprenticeship programmes as one of the skills development strategies which enables the youth to acquire work experience along with technical and professional skills.

“…Todate, through an ILO programme, more than 200 youth in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar have successfully undergone such training in the hotel industry, with some of them already in employment…” he concluded.