J.22_YLA_Gender_Analysis_and_Baseline_Assessment_Final_Draft_5.12.16_(1).pdf

FEED THE FUTURE UGANDA YOUTH

LEADERSHIP FOR AGRICULTURE

ACTIVITY

Gender Analysis and Baseline March 31, 2016

Contract Number: AID-617-C-15-00003

FEED THE FUTURE UGANDA YLA ACTIVITY GENDER ANALYSIS AND BASELINE 2016 2

FEED THE FUTURE UGANDA YLA ACTIVITY GENDER ANALYSIS AND BASELINE 2016 3

GENDER ANALYSIS AND

BASELINE

DISCLAIMER

This publication was made possible through support provided by Feed the Future through the U.S.

Agency for International Development, under the terms of Contract No. Contract No. AID-617-C-15- 00003. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

SECTION II. BACKGROUND

2.1 Context

2.2 Purpose

SECTION III. APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

3.1 Data Collection

3.2 Sampling

3.3 Data Collection and Analysis

3.4 Limitations

SECTION IV. FINDINGS, LEARNING AND ADAPTING

4.1 Key Informant Interviews

4.2 Private Sector

4.3 Survey and FGD Findings Overview

4.4 Education

4.5 Employment and the Agriculture Sector

4.6 Family and Household Decision Making

4.7 Connecting with Youth

SECTION V. CONCLUSION

Annex A. Informed Consent Form

Annex B. Parental Consent Form

Annex C. Focus Group Discussion Introduction Sheet

Annex D. Focus Group Discussion Questions

Annex E. Survey 18-35 Year-Olds

Annex F. Intra-Household Survey

Annex G. Sampling Framework

Annex H. Gender Analysis and Baseline Statement of Work

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SECTION I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

As the Uganda Youth Leadership for Agriculture Activity (YLA) kick starts implementation in the first four districts, the gender analysis and baseline will shape overall program design and district level interventions. As YLA sets out to support more than 245,000 young women in accessing economic opportunities, this analysis intends to build on USAID’s Youth and

Agriculture in Uganda Assessment with a focus on challenges and opportunities for young women in the agriculture sector.

Following a literature review and interviews with donors, implementing partners, the private sector, and other stakeholders a survey team conducted 272 surveys with youth ages 10-35, 24 focus groups with 170 youth ages 18-35, and 69 interviews with parents and caregivers.

Interviews in four districts Mbale, Mubende, Gulu, and Masindi were held after national elections in late February and March of 2016. Findings and recommendations for interventions are categorized under three areas 1. Education 2. Employment and the Agriculture Sector and 3.

Family and Household Decision Making.

There are numerous programs that prepare youth for the workforce or employment opportunities with life skills, mentorship, business skills, or access to finance in Uganda. YLA aims to leverage the lessons learned from these programs and link youth accessing their services to economic opportunities. When gaps exists, YLA will work with education institutions and implementing partners to fill these skill gaps in targeted youth populations.

YLA takes a transactional approach, focusing on private sector demand. Where the private sector need can be met by youth, and involve a large number of young women, then YLA will facilitate a partnership between the private sector and youth. YLA will support youth to develop relevant skills and adopt improved technologies that meet private sector demand. The Activity will achieve two objectives:

Increase incomes of youth working in agricultural value chains; and, Improve skills development (entrepreneurship, employability, leadership, and life skills) obtained through formal and non-formal education and training organizations.

This analysis incorporates recommendations and illustrative interventions to allow YLA to effectively engage and prepare young women and men for opportunities in the agriculture sector. Recommendations include:

Appropriate sequencing of life skills and technical skills will allow YLA to support youth as they transition through development stages and important life events including marriage, parenting, and leaving school to enter the workforce.

Given the lack of positive exposure youth have with the private sector, YLA should consider introducing practical learning opportunities with the private sector to in school youth. YLA is uniquely positioned to support youth in

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preparing for the workforce and careers in the agriculture sector, while also supporting the private sector in strategies that allow them to recruit and promote women and youth.

While improving policies and practices concerning the treatment of women in the workplace is necessary, it is also important that YLA engage communities and households in supporting women’s increased decision making and access to productive assets.

Savings programs, with mentoring or peer support, for young girls have proven to be effective in reducing gender based violence and increasing resilience in

Uganda. YLA presents a great opportunity to pilot digital financial services and savings programs for young women with targeted savings goals such as contributions towards school fees or investments in improved agriculture inputs.

SECTION II. BACKGROUND

The purpose of this baseline and analysis is to understand the opportunities and barriers for youth participation, in particular young women, in the Uganda Youth Leadership for

Agriculture (YLA) Activity. The findings of this assessment will be used to shape interventions. As behaviors, incentives, and opportunities progress during implementation, the

YLA team will revisit data and learning from the initial activities and adapt interventions.

YLA supports Ugandan partners, with youth in the lead, to identify and drive forward sustainable, inclusive, and cost-effective approaches that put youth, especially female youth, squarely in the agriculture sector as leaders, farmers, entrepreneurs, and employees. The purpose of this flagship activity is to increase economic opportunities for approximately

350,000 Ugandan female and male youth ages 10 to 35 in agriculture-related fields in order to increase their incomes and build entrepreneurship, leadership, and workforce readiness skills.

YLA is a $21.5 million, five-year activity. The Activity’s period of performance is July 14, 2015 – July 13, 2020.

The Activity will achieve the following two objectives:

Increase incomes of youth working in agricultural value chains; and, Improve skills development (entrepreneurship, employability, leadership, and life skills) obtained through formal and non-formal education and training organizations.

The implementation strategy is crafted around a youth-driven approach that prioritizes facilitation, targets in-school and out-of-school youth, and leverages the private sector and workforce institutions to ensure buy-in and sustainability of interventions. All interventions are youth-led. The Activity Results Framework is below:

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2.1 Context

Approximately 75% of Uganda’s workforce is engaged in agriculture-related activities, including most Ugandan women. Ugandan women, although vital to the country’s food security, are usually overlooked as a meaningful resource for future growth and leadership.

Unlike the mindset within the service and manufacturing sectors, which have seen significant growth in recent years, only a minority of Ugandans who work in agriculture regard the sector as a “business.” Rather, agriculture is widely perceived as backward and unattractive, resisting modern business practices that could make Uganda more prosperous.

According to the USAID Youth and Agriculture Assessment (2014), most Ugandan youth are engaged in some sort of agricultural activity. Although they did not see agriculture as a primary income-generating activity, youth were interested in agriculture as secondary income generation. Many youth seek pathways to the workforce that allow them to ‘keep a foot in the door’ of agriculture, especially as many youth believe that they will one day return to their parents’ land.

While women comprise a majority of the Ugandan agricultural labor force they face significant barriers to success compared to men (Investigating the Gender Gap in Agricultural

Productivity, World Bank, 2015). Women produce 90 percent of Uganda’s total food output and 50 percent of its cash crop production (Youth and Agriculture in Uganda: An Assessment, QED Group, USAID Uganda Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Program, QED Group, FEED THE FUTURE UGANDA YLA ACTIVITY GENDER ANALYSIS AND BASELINE 2016 8

2014). Several factors have conspired to make success in agriculture more difficult for female youth. They are less likely to own the land that they work or to have progressed beyond primary school level. They have less access on the whole to productive assets, access to finance, and access to agricultural extension services. In general, youth access to land and other productive assets varies depending on a number of factors, including customary practice, ethnic group, etc. Of these factors, gender is perhaps the most significant. Because female youth are expected to move away from their families once they marry, male youth are more likely receive access to land, other productive assets and payment for their work. Even when young women have a legal claim to land, it can be difficult for them to enforce it, because they frequently lack the education and financial resources to pursue a legal claim. Since land is typically inherited by sons, it is more common for women to work land that belongs to others with only limited opportunity with respect to decision making pertaining to things like types of crops, harvesting, or sales. Women-managed agricultural plots are on average, 20-30% less productive than male-managed plots in Uganda (Investigating the Gender Gap in Agricultural Productivity, World

Bank, 2015). This productivity gap exists primarily because women frequently have unequal access to key agricultural inputs such as land, labor, knowledge, fertilizer and improved seeds.

This productivity gap results in an estimated foregone annual income of $67 million (The Cost of the Gender Gap in Agricultural Productivity in Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda, World Bank

2014).

According to the DHS study of 2011, the average age a Ugandan women (women surveyed were between ages 20-24) was first sexually active was 17 years old and more than half of respondents had one child by the age of 20. These factors lead young women to drop out of school early, and have a negative effect on their economic opportunities.

2.2 Purpose

This baseline and gender analysis aims to:

Identify entry points or opportunities for empowering women in the YLA coverage areas. The baseline and gender analysis will enable YLA to collect and provide gender and age disaggregated statistics about specific gender-specific barriers this information shall be utilized to design YLA interventions

To provide context for improving and or redefining program design but also for evaluation of the YLA activity. This is especially important because YLA is a flagship activity. Measurement at different points of activity implementation is an important aspect for this Activity and USAID to draw lessons that will inform the current and future programing for youth.

This baseline and Gender Analysis is also to meet the YLA contractual obligations to

USAID as required.

The focus of the baseline analysis is not intended to provide the baseline values for each of the

YLA indicators, as those will be collected through partners and reports as interventions are

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implemented. This analysis is intended to provide content for the activity with a specific focus on the factors that affect and or hinder youth participation in agricultural related economic opportunities and also gather information on promising models that may contribute and or affect activity outcomes in line with the guiding principles of scalability, cost effectiveness and efficiency. As follow up to this report an interactive workshop with YLA staff to tailor activities to and approaches to effectively engage women at the district level is recommended.

This analysis reviews gender based constraints on and off farm at various points in the value chain (inputs, production, processing, trading, and financial services). The gender analysis was not conducted within specific value chains as the activity intends to work across numerous value chains through the transactional approach. YLA staff will be trained in designing gender sensitive activities and gender mainstreaming so that district level activities can be adapted based on specific gender barriers and opportunities.

SECTION III. APPROACH AND

METHODOLOGY

The baseline and gender analysis applies both quantitative and qualitative methods. This assessment includes consultations with USAID, implementing partners, educators, and the private sector. The majority of the assessment team (enumerators and facilitators) were youth or youth mentors. The assessment team engaged young men and women ages 10-35 in focus group discussions. This analysis also includes perceptions of caregivers and their attitudes and beliefs about youth participation, especially female participation, in YLA activities. Focus groups were conducted by men and women facilitators. 102 youth between the ages of 10-17, of which 55 percent (n=56) were young women and 45 (n=46) were young men, were surveyed.

69 caregivers or parents of the 102 youth ages 10-17 were also surveyed. A total of 24 focus group discussions and surveys were conducted with 170 participants, where 46 percent (n=78) were women and 54 percent (n=92) were men. The graph below shows percentage of participants in the focus group by district. The team aimed to have more women participate in the focus groups; however, a number of women were unable to attend because they were planting on their farms.

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Informed consent was obtained for all participants, and parental consent was obtained for participants under 18 years of age.

3.1 Data Collection

Qualitative and quantitative data was obtained through the following methods:

Review of documents and related literature

Key informant interviews (KII) and private sector interviews: Interviews were conducted using a structured questionnaire comprised primarily of open ended questions

Focus group discussions (FGD): FGD were conducted with youth between the ages of

18-35

Surveys were conducted with youth between the ages of 10-35 and caregivers/parents of youth between 10-17 years of age

Data is disaggregated by the following criteria as appropriate:

Source (private sector, donor, implementing partner, youth)

Location

Age (10-14; 15-17; 18-24; 25-29; and 30-35 years)

Sex

Marital Status

Level of education completed

3.2 Sampling

Purposive sampling was used to identify participants for the assessment in the YLA pilot districts.

YLA Pilot Districts

51%

39% 44%

50%49%

61% 56%

50%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Gulu Masindi Mbale Mubende

Percent of FGDs participants by sex

Female Male

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Central Region Eastern Region Northern Region Western Region

Pilot Districts Mubende Mbale Gulu Masindi

Quota sampling with predetermined criteria agreed to with the YLA management and technical teams was used to select participants in focus groups. A total of 272 youth were surveyed across the districts and in each age bracket.

One focus group of all men and one focus group of all women was administered. Focus groups included 6-10 participants in each of the age brackets (18-24; 25-29; and 30-35 years) from each of the four districts. Youth who are currently enrolled in farmer groups, and youth who are not formally linked to an agriculture group were invited to participate. The table below shows the percentage of youth, participating in the FGDs, who belong to a community group.

Likewise, some youth were currently enrolled in school while others were no longer continuing formal education opportunities.

Intra-household interviews with young women and men ages 10-17 were held with parental consent, and following interviews with parents and caregivers. All attempts were made to ensure youth were surveyed in a space near their home where they could answer honestly, but without revealing responses to their parents. Participant selection for surveys and focus groups was based on the profile of the target beneficiary of the YLA program with the support of regional staff, NGOs, or private sector partners.

3.3 Data Collection and Analysis

The design framework was used to design questions for surveys and focus groups. Gender

Specialist, Kate Maldonado and YLA Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager

Richard Businge trained eight enumerators and focus group facilitators. Standard forms and data entry tools were piloted and adapted after the enumerator training. Surveys were conducted

37%

1%

32%

2%

16%

1%

4%

8%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Farmers group

Health Group

No group

Religious group

Saving group

Traders group

Womens group

Youth group

Percentage of Youth that Belong to a Community Group

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in local languages with translation support drawn from the enumerators, local participants and or YLA staff. Transcripts in English were used for data analysis.

Data entry occurred daily and focus groups were recorded using tape recorders. Two people led the focus groups, one of whom led the discussion, while the other team member recorded notes and observations. At the end of the session, a facilitator who did not participate in the focus group reviewed notes and provided feedback on areas for clarification. Surveys were reviewed each day by the YLA MEL manager, and any recurring error or bias was noted. The enumerators were notified of how to avoid the error moving forward.

All participants were given background information on the study and asked to sign informed consent forms before participating. For youth under the age of 18, parental consent forms were obtained.

Data analysis was conducted in excel. Due to the national and local elections, field testing and data collection were delayed slightly. Raw data will be used by the YLA team for additional analysis as interventions are implemented in specific regions and districts. Themes were identified and the findings section is organized by topics.

3.4 Limitations

This analysis is intended to influence the design of YLA interventions and represent the view of YLA’s target beneficiaries, but it cannot be considered representative of all youth. Data collection coincided with the planting season and local elections which made it difficult to engage youth for long periods of time. In the same sex focus groups, participants shared their views openly.

Mixed focus groups were held in some districts, but not in all given participants’ time constraints. When mixed focus groups were held, it was evident that women felt less comfortable expressing themselves freely.

While the team was equipped with facilitators who spoke multiple local languages, some participants felt most comfortable expressing themselves in local languages that facilitators were not proficient in speaking. YLA staff and translators were involved to facilitate the discussion and recording of discussions as needed.

FGD mapping exercise of economic opportunities

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SECTION IV. FINDINGS, LEARNING AND

ADAPTING

4.1 Key Informant Interviews

Key informant interviews (KII) were held with organizations working with the YLA target populations (youth ages 10-35) or in the agriculture sector. A full list of organizations interviewed is below. Findings from KIIs, private sector interviews and discussions with youth can be found in the learning and adapting sections in 4.3-4.5.

Organization Type

USAID Community Connector Project (FHI 360) USAID Activity

Educate! NGO

Feed the Future Uganda Agricultural Inputs Activity (Tetra Tech)

USAID Activity

Restless Development NGO

National Youth Council Government Agency

National Curriculum Development Center Government Agency

Mango Tree NGO

BRAC NGO

USAID Better Outcomes for Children and Youth in Eastern and Northern Uganda

USAID Activity

Feed the Future Uganda Commodity Production and Marketing Activity

USAID Activity

Preparing Youth for the Workforce

Youth see a university education as something that entitles them to a job. One stakeholder noted, that there is a need for youth to learn how to market themselves to employers. Some youth see value in apprenticeships and internships; however, these opportunities are not readily available. When youth do have the opportunity to gain real work experience, internships may lack a specific learning or capacity building component and are instead used as free labor. For youth without a higher level of formal education, numeracy and financial management are fundamental skills. Respondents noted that for both in and out of school youth, soft skills (self-confidence, and communications), business skills (understanding the market), and attitude and behavior in the workplace (planning, time management, creativity, innovation, working with teams) are areas youth need to develop before entering the workplace.

Opportunities and Challenges for Women in the Agriculture Sector/Workplace

As previously noted, women are actively engaged in production; whereas, men often selling or market crops. However, there are unique opportunities for women to increase their income

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through key value chain activities. Given women’s domestic responsibilities, positions that are not labor intensive, have flexible schedules, or do not require travel outside of the home are often cited as good options for engaging women in value chain activities. It was noted in multiple KIIs that women are often trusted more than men. For example, they are frequently asked to serve as treasurers in farmer groups The USAID funded Uganda Agricultural Inputs

Activity team, reported that women hold key leadership roles in agro-input firms and are often found employed in agro-dealer shops. The mobile money sector is another example of where women are found to be employable and have been able to grow into leadership positions. Smart

Money, a mobile money operator, participated in a private sector interview to share their business model that has led to the promotion of a number of vulnerable women.

Although there are opportunities to increase women’s earning potential, significant barriers exist for women to access income they earn. One theme that was confirmed through multiple stakeholders is that young men would likely keep some or all of their earnings from on farm and off farm employment. However, traditionally young women may be expected to help their families and may not have access to their earning before or after marriage. It was also noted that when a women’s crop becomes lucrative men will often take over the marketing and sale of the crop (e.g. passion fruit).

Considerations for Engaging Young Men and Women

As often as stakeholders cited the need to prepare youth for the workforce, they also cited the need to prepare actors along the value chain to engage youth. YLA will need to consider the capacity of stakeholders to engage youth and how any identified gaps can be filled. Youth want to learn tangible skills, be paid a fair wage, and to be paid more frequently. Program interventions will need to take into consideration what youth define as tangible skills and where there is a form of financial payment system, to ensure the timeframe of these payments is not too long, so as to be a disincentive to young people.

In addition, communities and families may be skeptical of employers’ treatment of young women and youth in the workplace. Clear policies and enforcement of policies around the treatment of workers and sexual harassment may garner the trust and make certain actors in the value chain more appealing employers for youth.

While women may be perceived as shy or easy to intimate, there are ample examples of women assuming leadership roles when the environment is supportive and competitive/based on merit.

Likewise, female leaders in the private sector can be highlighted as role models for in school youth and used as recruiters for young women out of school.

As employers and the YLA program aim to reach youth with core messages, the radio and phone messaging application WHATSAPP are communication channels used by all segments of the youth population.

A lack of education beyond primary school and pregnancy are common known barriers for

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women’s income generating potential. Thus, YLA interventions to increase education and economic empowerment for young women should be designed with an understanding of how to effectively engage women at critical stages of their development. The definition of youth (10-

35) for the YLA activity allows interventions to be delivered to young men and women at various development stages. However, programmatic definitions of youth based on age do not typically align with cultural definitions of youth which are typically based on life events. One theme that came up throughout the assessment was this notion of supporting youth through transitions. One respondent stated “when a 19 year old becomes a mother, she’s not considered a youth.” In particular, one of the most important considerations for this program and young women, is the transition she will make from her family home before marriage to her husband’s home and community after marriage. Another respondent noted “younger girls who are (at) home have big dreams- you can have more of an impact. If they are married it depends on the type of marriage in terms of independence. Although, married women may have access to assets.” A young woman’s ability to participate in program and economic activities is largely dependent on the environment and beliefs of the family she lives with at time of enrollment.

BRAC, and other organizations working directly with youth, cited marriage as one of the greatest challenges with maintaining enrollment for young women in their program. Whereas, household focused activities, such as the USAID funded Feed the Future Community

Connector Project, maintain household enrollment despite transitions of young women into and out of the program because of marriage. Despite the complexities of how to engage and retain women in the activity, respondents agreed that behavior change and sensitization programs are required for families, communities, and local governments when working with young women.

In addition, the location and environment where young women are engaged must be considered a safe space and timing of program activities must consider her numerous domestic and farm responsibilities.

4.2 Private Sector

One of the greatest engines for growth is Uganda’s growing youth population. Private sector partner models for engaging youth can be categorized in four broad categories 1) actors that successfully engage youth and young women and promote their growth in the organization 2) firms that actively engage youth and young women for targeted positions and value women’s role in their organization. However, require support on policies and recruitments strategies to engage, retain, and increase youth participation, in particular young women, in their organization 3) firms that are open to engaging youth and young women but do not have a targeted strategy and 4) firms that will hire youth and women but do not see value in trying to engage or retain these specific segments of the workforce. In the first phase of the activity YLA will focus on private sector actors that fall under the first three categories, commit to gender inclusive approaches, and agree to child safeguarding standards (see text

Child Safeguarding Standards

YLA believes in safeguarding children from abuse, neglect, and exploitation and will uphold these values in implementation.

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box). Seven private sector interviews were conducted with potential partners along the value chain (input suppliers, production, processing, trading, and financial services) for this analysis.

Multiple private sector actors cited specific technical skills that youth could gain that would allow them to be more marketable. Nearly all firms deliver some form of on the job training.

Profiles for partners are included in the table below:

Private Sector

Description Districts Number of Employees

Bugisu Co-operative Union LTD.

A farmers organization that works with coffee farmers who are organized into small cooperatives

Mbale, Bududa, Manafa, Sironko and Bulambuli

277 cooperatives (average 250 -300 members). Six permanent staff (4 women).

Eastern Private Sector Development Cooperative

(EPSEDEC)

Facilitates linkages and skills building for private sector and farmer organizations

Mbale, Bugiri, Busia, Namutumba, Kibuuku, Budaka, Manafa, Sironko, Bulambuli, Kweene, Palisa, Bukedia, Kumi, Soroti, Kapchorwa, Bukwo, and Butualeja

53 staff both full and part time (29 are women and 47 are youth).

Equator Seeds LTD

Input supplier focused on seed distribution

Gulu, Arua, Zombo, Nebbi, Yumbe, Koboko, Moya Acholi Region, Lango Region, Bunyoro and Teso Region

27 full time staff (8 women).15 part time staff (7 women).

HOMA Farm Limited

Farm focused on mixed crops and animal husbandry and also serves as a practical training center for farmers

Gulu. But serves farmers from West Nile, Lango and Teso

20 full time employees (7 women). 60 part time workers. 50 percent of staff are youth.

Joseph Initiative and Joseph Center

Grain merchandising- harvesting, marketing. Satellite collection spots- 65 aggregation hubs.

Grain collection infrastructure and distribute inputs.

Kasese, Mubende, Gulu, and Masindi

15,000 farmers and direct employees of which a significant portion are women.

Masindi District Farmers Association

(MADFA)

Association with three business arms; Masindi seed company, MADFA- SACCO providing credit, and Masindi seed and grain processing company that does the grain marketing. The association is involved in providing extension and advocacy services. For sustainability, the profits from the other three arms are used to fund advocacy and extension services.

Masindi and Kiryandongo, and Bulisa

9 staff full time (15 youth, 5 women). The seed company employs 8 full time staff (5 youth, 3 women) and MADFA SACCO employs 25 full time staff (25 women).

SMART

Money

Rural financial services and mobile money

Kasese District.

Expansion to Kabarole in April 2016, Bundibugyo in July 2016, and to Bushenyi in January 2017.

60 full time (40 women), 500 part time (100 percent youth).

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Benefits and Barriers to Recruiting and Retaining Youth and Women

When engaging youth, private sector partners are confronted with low morale, immediate desire for better and quicker pay, alcohol and drug abuse, hostile behavior, a lack of soft skills, and a lack of loyalty.

Soft skills that private sector organizations wish youth could acquire before entering the workforce include: communication, resilience, problem solving, leadership, conflict management and resolution, confidence building, business and customer service, reproduction and life planning, and financial management. These confirm the same testimonies given in the

KIIs above. YLA’s skills development initiatives will take into consideration these broad workforce readiness skillsets.

Each stakeholder described benefits of hiring women for specific positions (see text box). These positive perceptions ought to be highlighted in YLA’s messaging to stakeholders including young women.

Challenges with employing women include: taking too much time off for domestic engagements, maternity requests, gossip or backbiting, shy, being unable to fill certain roles (e.g. operating heavy machinery) or lacking certain skills that men possess.

They also noted that men sometimes take advantage of women in the workplace.

Two private sector firms explained that they address discrimination against women in their workplace through policies that include disciplining and terminating employees who are disrespectful to women.

Challenges that were noted include men trying to intimidate women. While men are often resistant to women in leadership roles, organizations that have policies to support women see men adapting over time.

As one respondent noted “it is very difficult and in some cases impossible for young women to command respect from men. Only the strongest women are capable of overcoming the social patterns and imposing their authority over male subordinates and customers. This authority must be earned and that takes time and a delicate balance of pressure and support.” The benefits to household harmony were mixed with private sector participants stating a reduction in domestic violence as a result of women’s employment, while others observed greater tensions and increased violence.

Investing in Human Capital

Joseph Initiative, the largest exporter of maize in Uganda, recognizes that investing in their workforce and suppliers is good for business. They will work with

45,000 farmers next year and employee hundreds of youth for casual and full time labor. Educating farmers on access to finance opportunities, reproductive health resources, and household asset management skills will help grow their farm enterprises and develop their communities. Furthermore, Joseph

Initiative is developing their human resource capacity to more effectively recruit and build capacity of their full time staff- many of whom are women and youth.

Benefits of Employing Women as Reported by the Private

Sector

Efficiency

Reliability

Organization

Commitment

Flexibility

Ability to learn quickly

Honesty and transparency -especially with finances

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4.3 Survey and FGD Findings Overview for Baseline and Gender Analysis

46 young men and 56 young women were surveyed between the ages of 10 and 17. Three of the

102 youth under 17 had one child.

Intra-household surveys were conducted with 53 mothers and 16 fathers or caregivers from the same households as the 102 youth. 17 percent of caregivers are living with someone, 49 percent are married, 10 percent are separated, 9 percent are single, and 14 percent are widowed. 77 percent of the caregivers interviewed had four or more children.

Focus group discussions were held with men and women separately in each age bracket 18-24, 25-29, and 30-35. After concluding the FGDs separately, mixed focus groups with men and women were held when possible between young men and women in the same age group.

Marital Status and Youth with Children

The marital status and number of FGD participants with children is disaggregated in the charts below. On average youth 18-35 had two children, although the range varied from no children to nine children by one participant. In Gulu, only 34 percent of men and women between the ages of 18-35 were married or living with someone. This is significantly lower than the other three districts (Mubende 57 percent, Masindi 71 percent, and Mbale 73 percent). During FGDs in Gulu, young men often referenced living at home and depending on their parents and young women discussed single parenting. Marital status and number of children affect women’s responsibilities and decision making in the home.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Marital Status of Youth Ages 18-35

Age 18-24 Age 25-29 Age 30-35

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0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

18-24 25-29 30-35

Youth with Children

Women Men

The results of the surveys and focus groups are organized below by the following topics:

education, employment and the agriculture sector, family/household decision making, and connecting with youth. The responses of intra-household surveys are included first followed by the responses from the 18-35 age group surveys and FGDs.

Learning and adapting sections are incorporated in some of the sections below to illustrate how the findings can be used to shape YLA interventions.

4.4 Education

Intra-household Surveys with Parents/Caregivers and Youth Ages 10-17

91 percent of young women and 80 percent of young men were enrolled in school at the time of the survey. 13 percent of young women and 20 percent of young men ages 10-17 reported that they are currently enrolled in secondary school. 57 percent of youth not enrolled in school at the time of the survey were earning some form of income.

59 percent of young women and 63 percent of young men believe that university is the best place to learn new skills.

20 percent of young women and nine percent of young men believe vocational school is the best place to learn new skills. Other participants noted that they could learn skills on their farm, from the private sector, or from their peers.

82 percent of youth 10-14 were not aware of any forms of contraceptives and 63 percent of youth 15-17 were not

The number one priority for youth

10-17 years old

81 percent of youth said the most important thing to them, at this time, was pursuing their studies.

60 percent of young women who had dropped out of school said the most important thing was to pursue their studies. No young men who dropped out listed this as their priority

78 percent of young men who dropped out school reported that finding a job was their priority.

89 percent of these young men are interested in earning an income from agriculture

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aware of any types of contraceptives at the time of the survey

Of the parents and caregivers interviewed, 12 percent never attended school, 64 percent attended primary school, 22 percent attended secondary school, and three percent attended tertiary school. 28 percent of parents and caregivers think the best place to learn new skills is university, 29 percent answered vocational school, and 25 percent responded at home or on the farm. However, when asked where the best place for their children to learn new skills 59 percent felt that university was the best option and 33 percent reported vocational schools.

Surveys and Focus Group Discussions

92 percent of youth between18-35 were no longer enrolled in school at the time of the survey.

48 percent of participants completed primary school (60 percent of women completed primary school); 39 percent completed secondary school (29 percent of women completed secondary school); whereas, only two of 170 respondents completed university.

Unable to pay school fees was the most popular reason noted for why individuals had dropped out of school. The distance to travel to school, unreliable or poorly trained teachers, no food, peer pressure from bad friends, and a lack of interest were other reasons cited. A number of participants in

Gulu noted they had dropped out because of the insurgency. Early marriage, pregnancy, and fear of being raped while traveling to school were reasons cited by women for dropping out. In Mbale one woman (age 18-24) noted: “Early pregnancies which led to early marriages. Because our parents could not afford we got enticed by young men who promised to make life better, and after we got pregnant we could not continue (school).” Another states: “There is no single secondary or vocational school in our sub-county, meaning we had to walk two hours each way.” One participant reflected that he regretted that he was not interested in school as dropping out ruined his future.

Young Women participating in a FGD with their children

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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Age 18-24 Age 25-29 Age 30-35 Total

The Best Place for Youth to Learn New Skills

University Vocational

Despite reasons cited for dropping out of school, each focus group overwhelmingly cited that sending their children to school was very important to them. Mixed responses were provided on the importance of acquiring practical skills by attending vocational school versus university with potential for better salary. Respondents noted that children who attend school are able to help their parents, help their other siblings, earn prestige in their community, bring pride to the family, come back and help develop their community, build their own future, and become financially stable. Both men and women participants felt that it is important to send young girls and young boys to school and no preference should be given. However, other respondents noted that boys should be given preference because girls leave their families when they get married, and boys stay with their family. In Mubende, the mixed men and women debrief for 30-35 year olds reveled that men preferred to educate boys and women felt it was equally important to educate both. One participant noted that preference should be given to girls because uneducated girls suffer more than uneducated boys in their community.

Learning

Young women are more likely than young men to stay enrolled in primary school. However, young men that complete primary school are more likely than young women to complete secondary school. As a young woman is likely to leave her family when she is married, there appears to be an economic rationale for families to invest more in the education of young men.

When youth are enrolled in primary and secondary school, they place a high value on continuing their studies and have aspirations of attending university. Youth who see the value in attending vocational school in the 10-17 age group is low (nine percent for young men and

20 percent for young women). However this shifts dramatically when youth reach 18 or drop out of school. The value on learning new skills from vocational schools increases dramatically, as 55 percent of youth 18-24 years old believe vocational school is the best place to learn new skills. Parents and caregivers, of which 76 percent never attend school or dropped out after

YLA Learning Agenda

How are YLA interventions intentionally responding to the needs/aspirations of the vulnerable youth?

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primary school, demonstrate a mix of hope and realism about their children continuing their studies. 59 percent think the best place for their children to learn is university and more than a third of parents value the practical skills their children can gain in vocational school.

YLA’s interventions with in-school youth may focus on continuing education and mitigating factors that would lead to school dropout for example teenage pregnancy or peer pressure.

YLA’s interventions with out of school youth will focus on their more immediate need/goal of increasing their earning potential through practical and technical skill development.

Adapting YLA’s Approach: Illustrative Interventions

Form or Engage Groups that Create a Safe Space for Youth: Youth’s participation in groups that introduce positive influences and role models and focus on financial literacy and life skills, especially for young girls, can have a positive influence on their decision making and provides a way for YLA to access vulnerable youth populations. Piloting mobile money savings programs for young women is one opportunity to build on previous financial literacy programs for girls in Uganda and provide access to financial services that can help smooth household consumption shocks. (YLA Objective 2.2)

Develop Communications Campaigns for Learning Opportunities: Vocational schools and universities offer skills that allow youth to increase their earning potential and their probability of financial stability. While promoting school enrollment for young men and women under 18, YLA will work with the private sector and vocational institutions to communicate to youth and their families the value in all types of education. Success stories and testimonials can be shared through radio or at church or community events.

(YLA Objectives 2.1 and 2.2)

Facilitate Partnerships between Schools and Private Sector Actors: Internships, practical skills, and positive exposure to private and agriculture sector actors for youth between 14 and 17 may incentivize young people to stay in school and work toward specific careers goals. Youth can learn practical skills of how to identify jobs and market themselves while attending school so they are better equipped to enter the workforce. (YLA Objective 1.2)

Pilot Platforms that Allow Families to Save for School: Families understand the value of education; however, there are many barriers that prevent them from continuing to pay for their children’s schooling. Savings programs through farmer, saving groups, religious groups or mobile money platforms for education could be piloted. Private sector firms may also consider an education stipend for children of employee’s with a certain level of tenure that consistently perform to expectations. (YLA Objective 2.2)

Disseminate Age Appropriate Sexual and Reproductive Health Messages: With the high rates of teenage pregnancy, and the low awareness of contraceptives (as indicated below in section 4.6), appropriate reproductive health messages should be disseminated to young men and women ages 10-35. Integrate SRH and healthy living messages into co-curricular, extracurricular and youth enterprise interventions. (YLA Objective 2.3)

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Support women-owned enterprise development: Women-owned microenterprises build economic security and save for vital investments such as school fees. Out-of-school youth, women FOs, and other groups could receive assistance to develop business plans for farm and service enterprises and be connected with SACCOs and VSLAs. (YLA

Objective 2.1)

4.5 Employment and the Agriculture Sector

Intra-household Surveys with Parents/Caregivers and Youth Ages 10-17

28 percent of youth believe that one day they will own their own business to earn money and 25 percent believe they will work on their family’s land or cultivate crops to earn a living. Other potential careers or income generating pathways included becoming a doctor, nurse, teacher, or soldier. 82 percent of young women and 72 percent of young men said they were interested in working in agriculture after they finish school. Previous assessments have noted that youth are not interested in agriculture. However, YLA’s finding through this exercise and the stakeholder mapping exercise is that youth have a negative attitude towards subsistence farming, part time farm labor, a lack of access to cash, and hard labor; however, they appear open to opportunities in the agriculture sector that will allow them to earn money and provide for their family.

When asked what they hoped for their children in the future, 30 percent of parents hoped their daughters would have a vocational trade, 30 percent hoped they would have office or business skills, nine percent hoped they would become a nurse, and 17 percent hoped they would have agriculture skills. 25 percent of parents want their son to be a doctor or lawyer and four percent mentioned farming. In addition to careers, parents and caregivers were more likely to mention traits they wanted their son to have (to be rich, to be humble, to help the community) than for their daughters. If a daughter goes to work outside the home before she is married, 51 percent of caregivers say the mother will assume her responsibilities and 29 percent of parents say the siblings will assume her household responsibilities.

94 percent of respondents in Mbende and 89 percent of all respondents reported that their families have access to land. 95 percent of those with access to land reported being able to help decide what to grow on the land. Hoes and pangas were the most common tools that youth had access to for agriculture activities. A small number of youth reported being able to access tractors and oxen.

66 percent reported being employed full time and 34 percent reported being employed part time. The chart below indicates the number of respondents in each district that reported they participate in maize, beans, and rice value chains at the time of the survey.

“Once a girl learns a skill like hairdressing she can always practice it, even if she moves to another community. It is something she can even do at home”

-Female Masindi (Age 25-29)

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In addition, the percentage of men and women that indicated they were participating in production of other value chains is: sorghum (22% women in Gulu); cassava (31% women in

Masindi and 15% of men in Mbale); groundnut (31% of women in Masindi and 10% women in

Mbale); soya (11% women in Mbale and 15% Men in Mbale); and livestock (19% of men in

Mbale).

In the previous two years young men and women reported that they earned income from a variety of agriculture and non-agriculture related enterprises.

Reports were provided from men and women, in each age range, who had tried to start their own business.

Positive perceptions of self-employment include: the ability to choose your own hours, keeping all of your earnings, having freedom, and being your own boss. Negative experiences and perceptions include: not having enough capital, fluctuating prices, all of the risks and losses being the responsibility of the owner, and challenges with people who do not pay back their credit.