Background 

Empower Youth for Work (EYW) is a five-year project (2016-2021), funded by the IKEA Foundation. The project focuses on enabling young people (especially young women) in rural climate-affected areas of four countries, of which Pakistan is one, to seek and obtain decent work. Working with a wide range of stakeholders (including young people, government and the private sector), the project applies a holistic approach to also consider the issues of gender-based discrimination, and quality education that could affect how young people make choices about employment. The project activities promote climate-friendly practices and support young people and their communities in adapting to the effects of climate change.

The EYW project aims to achieve improved economic and social empowerment for young women and men (age 15-29) living in rural climate-change affected areas. It does so through focusing on three long term objectives:

1)     Young women and men use their agency, soft and market-led technical skills;

2)     Young women and men benefit from new or improved employment of entrepreneurship opportunities; and

3)     An enabling environment for young women and men’s social and economic empowerment. As overarching themes, the program focuses on the effects of climate change, stimulates youth participation through human centered design and has a specific focus on innovation.