The study is motivated by the practical issue of the unequal status of young women in Botswana's political economy. Relative gender equity has been achieved in formal schooling at the primary and junior secondary levels. However, stark inequities are signaled by significantly lower female participation rates in vocational education and the labor market. And, as elsewhere in Africa, women are concentrated in the informal sector of the economy. Overall, various indicators suggest that school to work transitions are problematic for young women in Botswana, and that this is an important issue for research on women's education in Africa.
Women are far less likely to find jobs when they have no education.
Women account for only a third of all professional jobs in the nation. Mapping of opportunities and official discourse on opportunities for young women in Botswana. Life stories of a small number of women engaged in the informal sector. Location Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana. The ethnography is located at two sites where interaction with the target population is maximized.