I was thrilled and humbled to be celebrated as UN in Kenya Person of the Year 2017 (Runners Up) for my role in “Changing Lives through Promoting Skills, Decent Jobs and Enterprises in the Manufacturing Industry”.
Since then, I have set off on a passionate journey to lead a discussion on the untapped potential for entrepreneurship and skills development in the area of waste management and utilization through the Taka Taka ni Mali Initiative. More information about this initiative can be found here http://takanimali.org/
I still am very passionate about SDG Goal 8 “Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.”
Society as a whole benefits when more people are being productive and contributing to their country’s growth. Productive employment and decent work are key elements to achieving fair globalization and poverty reduction. In addition, unemployment can lead to unrest and disrupt peace if it is left unaddressed.
470 million jobs are needed globally for new entrants to the labour market between 2016 and 2030, just to keep up with the growth of the global working age population. That’s around 30 million jobs per year. In addition to creating jobs, we also need to improve conditions for over 780 million women and men who are working, but not earning enough to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.
Decent work means opportunities for everyone to get work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration. It is also important that all women and men are given equal opportunities in the workplace. A continued lack of decent work opportunities, insufficient investments and under-consumption lead to an erosion of the basic social contract underlying democratic societies: that all must share in progress.
Providing youth the best opportunity to transition to a decent job calls for investing in education and training of the highest possible quality, providing youth with skills that match labour market demands, giving them access to social protection and basic services regardless of their contract type, as well as levelling the playing field so that all aspiring youth can attain productive employment regardless of their gender, income level or socio-economic background.
Governments can work to build dynamic, sustainable, innovative and people-centered economies, promoting youth employment and women’s economic empowerment, in particular, and decent work for all. Local authorities and communities can renew and plan their cities and human settlements so as to foster community cohesion and personal security and to stimulate innovation and employment.
Credit: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/economic-growth/
