young women - The African Mirror

Apr

18

2022

How COVID added to the stresses of the most vulnerable young women in South Africa

BY 2021, South Africa’s unemployment rate was at 44%. Around 55.5% of South Africans were living in poverty. Figures show that in 2021, 10 million people, including 3 million children, lived in a household affected by hunger. Poverty is a key driver of poor mental health. People who also experience insecure income, housing and food supply are particularly vulnerable. The burden of mental illness in South Africa is high. Nearly half of the population (47.5%) is at risk of developing a psychiatric disorder in their lifetime. Despite this high burden, access to mental healthcare in South Africa is severely limited.…

Early pregnancy can put young women’s mental health at risk: a review of African evidence

HEALTH

THE rates of adolescent pregnancies in sub-Saharan Africa are among the world’s highest. The adolescent birth rate is as high as 139 per 1,000 girls in Tanzania and 96 per 1,000 in Kenya. This is significantly higher than in developed countries like Canada where the adolescent birth rate is 8 births per 1,000 girls. Adolescent pregnancies are a major public health concern. They can lead to unplanned parenthood and poor health outcomes for young women. Early, unintended pregnancy can add stress to the normal physiological and behavioural changes of this time of life. In sub-Saharan African countries, adolescents and young…

Will COVID-19 inspire young women to become social entrepreneurs?

COVID-19

MICHAEL TAYLOR THEY have been called a lost generation - fledgling careers, studies and social lives upturned by the chaos wrought by COVID-19. But as the pandemic exposes long-standing social problems, and creates new ones, some young people have seized the opportunity to apply business-minded solutions. The Thomson Reuters Foundation asked three young, female social entrepreneurs to reflect on their experiences over the last year and what advice they can give to other youths hoping to set up socially conscious businesses. We spoke to Harsha Ravindran, 18, co-founder of Ascendance, a Malaysia-based social enterprise and youth movement that connects and empowers students…