How do labour programmes contribute to social inclusion in Afghanistan: Evidence from BRAC s life skills education and livelihoods training for young

Transcription

1 How do labour programmes contribute to social inclusion in Afghanistan: Evidence from BRAC s life skills education and livelihoods training for young women

2 OUTLINE Country background: Afghanistan and research methods Key findings Knowledge on health, literacy skills and rights awareness (life skills education) Use and application of livelihoods training Impact of business activity and access to economic opportunity Social relations and interaction with authorities Policy implications

3 Country Background/ Research Method Afghanistan o o Years of war and instability and challenges (eco, social and political) Gender inequalities mediating access to women s employment & income-generating activities Mixed-methods Quan/Qual o o Quasi-experimental design Examined the impact if BRAC s life skills and livelihood training in Kabul and Parwan provinces in Afghanistan through the Adolescent Reading Centres (ARCs) for females aged 15-20

4 FIGURE 1: Map of sampled areas

5 KEY FINDINGS: 1. Knowledge on health, literacy skills & rights awareness Majority of the beneficiaries found the life skills training useful It contributed to the girls knowledge on health, literacy skills and rights-awareness Survey and qualitative data suggest that a considerable share of beneficiaries utilised their new knowledge of health, e.g. by seeing a doctor to address a health concern and improving personal/household hygiene practices.

6 KEY FINDINGS: 2. Use and application of Livelihoods Training Livelihoods Training embroidery, bag-making, tailoring, livestock raising, and food processing Tailoring most popular course (150 of 182) 2/3 reported to have applied the skills & knowledge gained from the training Most widespread application: the use of new skills for making clothes for personal use and for other family members. A third reported they did not gain much from the livelihood training

7 KEY FINDINGS: 3. Impact on business and access to economic opportunity Only a small share (13% or 23 out of 182) reported to have utilised the skills in starting a business PSM analysis does not suggest significant impact

8 KEY FINDINGS: 3. Impact on business and access to economic opportunity Limited income generating outcomes of the Livelihoods Training Basic level of knowledge before the training strengthened skills Those without prior knowledge difficulty in catching up Limited demand for tailoring WB study suggests oversupply of female trainees in tailoring (Solotaroff et al 2009)

9 KEY FINDINGS: 3. Impact on business and access to economic opportunity Research solicited perspectives on barriers to women s economic activity more broadly Constraints to female employment in study communities: Access to start-up capital and markets Restrictions on female mobility

10 KEY FINDINGS: 4. Social relations and interaction with authorities Had positive effect on social relations, including relations with family and community members. Contributed to greater respect and appreciation by other family and community members and increased the social networks and social interaction of beneficiaries. Some respondents reported increased tension and negative attitude in their communities. Training did not promote their interaction with authorities - women in the study areas had no interaction with local authorities.

11 POLICY IMPLICATIONS: Training content and quality: It is crucial that skills training programmes establish and enforce mechanisms for quality control and monitoring & evaluation to maximise teaching and learning outcomes for marginalised groups. Skills training programmes need to conduct market and economic studies to identify the types of skills and sectoral areas in which excluded individuals can successfully generate an income.

12 POLICY IMPLICATIONS: Structural barriers: Identify constraints to female employment drivers of exclusion Training interventions must facilitate access to start-up capital, productive assets and markets for excluded groups. Skills training an only limited effect need to promote broader policy changes

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