Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga and NYDA board discuss critical issues facing youth development and empowerment
The minister highlighted the responsibility of the NYDA to advocate for the empowerment of all youth, particularly women and persons with disabilities.
“We must ensure that the next 30 years are not a repetition of the past 30 years. The rising number of unemployed graduates demands both innovative and aggressive solutions.”
This statement was made by Sinidisiwe Chikunga, the Minister in the Presidency responsible for women, youth, and persons with disabilities, during her recent visit to the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) on September 9 in Woodmead.
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The purpose of her visit was to engage with the executive board of the agency and discuss critical issues regarding youth development and empowerment.
The minister’s visit serves to underline the government’s firm commitment to ensuring that the initiatives and programmes offered by the NYDA are closely aligned with national priorities.
In particular, the focus is on fostering empowerment, creating meaningful opportunities, and enhancing the overall service delivery to the youth of South Africa.
Chikunga expressed her gratitude, stating that she was pleased to meet the dedicated individuals behind the NYDA, who work tirelessly to fulfil the agency’s important mandate.
She commended them for the sacrifices they have made to ensure that the NYDA continues to operate effectively, despite the numerous known and unknown challenges they face on a daily basis.
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The minister highlighted the critical role of the NYDA in achieving the mandate to spearhead socio-economic transformation, especially in promoting the empowerment and active participation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
This is to be accomplished through strategic actions that include mainstreaming, advocacy, monitoring, and thorough evaluation of ongoing programmes.
She further emphasised that there is a profound responsibility on their part to offer strategic leadership, advocacy, and co-ordination among government departments and throughout the nation regarding the integration of socio-economic empowerment initiatives for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
“We need to engage with all unemployed graduates, listen to their experience, understand their needs, and work with them to pursue sustainable opportunities.
“Now more than ever, we need a NYDA with a very strong voice in structure of power and decision making, across private and public sectors.”
Furthermore, the minister shared that this year, the labour market absorption rate for young men stands at 31.9%, while young women lag significantly behind at just 24.2%.
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