# **1. INTRODUCTION**

The provision and access to quality employment opportunities, especially for women and youth, is instrumental in achieving inclusive growth and more effective development outcomes. Research shows that increasing female labor force participation to the levels of men could boost annual global gross domestic product (GDP) by 26 percent in 2025 compared with a business-as-usual scenario and that in Sub-Saharan Africa, 40–45 percent of the potential increase in output could come from shifting women into higher productivity sectors (McKinsey Global Institute 2015). In societies where women and men are relatively equal, the economies tend to grow faster, the poor move more quickly out of poverty, and the well-being of all—men, women and children—is enhanced. However, in Sudan, women face a range of constraints to join and stay in the labor market and to benefit fully from economic opportunities. At the same time, youth are an asset and instrumental in achieving a large share of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but they need to be equipped with the skills and opportunities required to reach their potential, support development, and contribute to peace and security. Young people today face significant challenges across the globe regarding economic inclusion. Youth unemployment is a global development challenge, especially in countries such as Sudan where around 60 percent of the population is below the age of 25 (CBS, 2020).

In Sudan the labor market is characterized by low overall labor force participation, in which women and youth are particularly disadvantaged. Unemployment seems to be a major cause of poverty in Sudan and addressing it is at the core of the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP). Building on the various national plans of the Government of Sudan, the I-PRSP identifies promotion of economic growth and employment creation as one of its four pillars. Labor force participation as a share of the working-age population (15–64 years) increased from 48.3 percent in 2009 to about 53.5 percent in 2014, while the unemployment rate decreased slightly to 11.3 percent in 2014 from 12.5 percent in 2009 (World Bank 2019c). The labor force participation rate is 76 percent among men, compared to 33 percent among women (World Bank 2019b). Agriculture and services are the main sources of employment in Sudan, and employment in agriculture is more common among women.<sup>2</sup> The overall unemployment rate for women is more than twice that of men (19 percent and 8 percent, respectively), and being a young woman is even more detrimental: 27 percent of young women are unemployed, compared to 20 percent of young men.

Understanding gender- and youth-specific issues can help identify entry points for greater employment opportunities for women and youth in Sudan and shape actions for enhanced growth and sustainability. The objective of this mixed methods study is to contribute to a better understanding of the current situation, challenges, and constraints that women and youth face in accessing employment opportunities. The focus is on women, with age-related data and information provided wherever possible. The study reflects the types of barriers that may prevent women and youth from capitalizing on existing economic opportunities. The study also contributes to enhancing knowledge on women- and youth-related issues in Sudan, areas in which analytical work is scarce. The findings from this study are expected to be a tool

> 2 Agriculture accounts for 60 percent of all employment among women (and almost all employment in rural areas), compared to 39 percent among men. Women are mostly engaged in subsistence farming and their agricultural activities are key for both income generation and food security for the family.

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