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Project background

It is estimated that around 40% of Lesotho’s youth (persons between 15 and 35 years of age) are neither in employment, education, or training. The 2024 Human Development Report Index (HDRI) points to ‘’the labor force (15-64) in Lesotho is likely to grow, which is already happening, as the share of this age groups change from 53% in 1990 to 62% in 2020 and is predictable to increase even more to around 67% in 2050’’. These indicators show a significant loss of human capital and contribution to the Kingdom’s economy, a missed opportunity.

A gender crisis is at the centre of youth unemployment which impact on young women than their male counterparts. Ironically, the former age group is more educated than the latter, but their educational levels do not necessarily translate into better career attainment. The challenges young women face in accessing decent employment opportunities despite their higher levels of education is greater.

In general, young Basotho could drive economic and social development with the right skills and opportunities.

The country’s National Development Strategy Plan II (NSDP II) takes cognizance of the importance and role of and by the youth in the country’s development trajectory.  The NSDP II (extended) identifies and promotes youth participation in development through a variety of action points, and especially advocates for the establishment and institutional capacity strengthening of the National Youth Council (NYC) to advance the interests of the youth.

Different youth groups and individuals identify with different political parties in a bid to gain influence and support for opportunities that might exist. Several attempts at establishing the NYC in the past, have haemorrhaged. The passage and adoption of the Lesotho National Youth Policy 2017-2030 by the Cabinet has not shown much progress. Despite having coordination of youth work and youth empowerment endeavours/initiatives across all sectors as its main tenant, policy remains largely ineffective.

There is a growing global concern about youth apathy and alienation from the political processes and Lesotho is not an exception to this. This is even though every citizen in terms of the Constitution is allowed to participate in governance and decision-making processes. The decades of subjugation had alienated several citizens, especially young people from both the political and the social life of the country. Young people are victims of social and economic problems such as unemployment and neglect by parents and society at large, including lack of active participation in such processes that cuts across all socio-economic groups.

This conflicts with Article 11 of the African Youth Charter that entrenches the notion that every young person shall have the right to participate in all spheres of society. The realisation of this calls for space as well as resources to be provided for youth to articulate, mobilise, and be informed of the various avenues of participation available to them.

According to the World Bank Youth Survey in 2021, “contrary to popular belief, youth are not simply waiting for public sector jobs. Instead, about two-thirds of the youth aspire to become entrepreneurs or self-employed. To further explore their entrepreneurial potential, the survey included a psychometric assessment to measure personality traits and mindsets linked to positive business performance. The assessment reveals that youth score relatively high (over 3.5 on a 5-point scale) on most dimensions (Figure 2). However, youth disproportionately focused on today’s needs (present bias), lacking future thinking, orientation, and planning. Youth also showed relatively low levels of a growth mindset — the belief that success is not innate and can be changed with hard work and effort. Key structural constraints are a lack of access to finance and credit, inadequate skills, and competing household responsibilities’’.

The HDRI 2024 observes that, ‘’as the world is facing a transition into an older population and the number of elderlies is increasing at a higher rate than the size of the labor force, putting an economic pressure in the pension system; Lesotho will remain with a low old age dependency ratio in 2050, at 8.7. This ratio indicates the level of dependency on the working-age population and having a value of 8.7 means that for every 8.7 elderly, there will be 100 persons on working-age. (HDR 2024).

Youth marginalisation in both public space and policy, and issues directly impacting them, contribute to underdevelopment. Lesotho youth face numerous challenges, including high unemployment rates, inequality, and limited opportunities for economic participation. There is a critical need to engage young people in meaningful economic and policy discussions to harness their potential and drive national development.

The general responsibility of the Youth Associate is to support in-depth and structured discussions on emerging domestic, regional, and global economic developments relevant to youth. In fulfilling this role, the Youth Associate  shall

1. Support Macro and Micro Policy Coherence

• Identify current and prospective youth policies.
• Supports evaluation of these policies in terms of their effectiveness in combating poverty, inequality, discrimination against traditionally excluded groups, and bridging the urban-rural development divide.
• Assess Youth engagement across various sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, services, and technology/digital industries to advise.
• Determine the extent of Basotho Youth involvement, identifying both obstacles and opportunities.
• Policy Integration and Economic Development:
• Supports development of  a range of youth-related economic growth, development, and employment generation initiatives aligned wit our NSDP II Extensition to advise on the opportunities available..
• Gather credible information on non-state-supported economic and livelihood initiatives in underserved rural and urban communities.
• Propose practical means for supporting these initiatives through the national budget and coordinated efforts.

2. Supports Trends Analysis and Intervention

• Collect timely and authoritative information on domestic, regional, and global youth developments.
• Analyse and interpret the information to determine how these trends impact Youth priorities in Lesotho, identifying risks and opportunities.
• Compile a list of business ideas and concepts developed by youth in all districts for funding under the Prime Minister’s Youth Unemployment Relief Fund.
• Support in promoting  Youth business initiatives, facilitating their integration into the formal economy.
• Support in developing  and recommending innovative intervention strategies and national youth policies to the Prime Minister.
• Aim to foster and promote free competitive enterprise, stabilize economic fluctuations, and maintain employment, production, and purchasing power.

3. Support in Impact Assessment and Policy Delivery

• Support in monitoring  the budgetary cycle closely to evaluate how the implementation of financed priorities in each ministry aligns with the Prime Minister’s youth development manifesto promises.
• Collaborate with relevant ministries to ensure that the budget directly supports the growth and development aspirations of the Youth.

4. Support Stakeholder Engagement:

• Maintain constant contact with the business sector, ensuring active engagement between government, private sector, civil society, and emerging young entrepreneurs and organizations.
• Keep monthly records and produce quarterly reports for the Chief of Staff, detailing progress, challenges, and recommendations.
• Strategic Integration with Youth Connekt Africa (YCA) and other initiatives focusing on the youth including, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics Conference (STEAM), Sebabatso
• Actively participate in the YCA Steering Committee to align Lesotho’s Youth development strategies with regional initiatives.
• Collaborate with YCA partners to leverage resources, knowledge, and networks to enhance the impact of youth programs in Lesotho.
• Support in promoting YCA initiatives within Lesotho to increase awareness and participation among Basotho youth.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement: 

The Youth Associate will report to the UNDP DRR while working closely with the Head of the GPU. He/She will be required to exercise the highest level of good judgement and maintain low visibility throughout the assignment