Young Urban Women: Inter-linkages between economic justice, bodily integrity and unpaid care work

Over the past two decades the world has experienced rapid urbanisation. Currently 50% of the world’s human population is concentrated in urban areas, and this number is steadily growing, with the majority of urban dwellers being young people under the age of 35 years. The Young Urban Women Project is focused on promoting economic rights and empowerment of young women in urban areas in three countries, viz. Ghana, India and South Africa. The three countries participating in this project have large concentrations of young women within urban centres, most of who live in poverty, and have very limited life choices and opportunities for economic and social improvement. The International Research Dissemination Workshop was held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 16th to 18th November 2015for the purpose of interrogating the research conducted in three countries – Ghana, India and South Africa – into the inter-linkages between economic justice, bodily integrity and unpaid care work. Participants included representatives of ActionAid International, as well as AAI country representatives, representatives of the specific country partners, young women who participated in the project, and various experts who work in the fields of economic justice and decent work, and bodily integrity and SRHR.

Workshop Objectives:

1. To share the research findings with YUW project participants and partner organisations
2. To map an advocacy agenda based on the research findings
3. To forge partnerships / collaboration for the future

This report outlines the research findings, discussions on the inter-linkages, and agreements (joint outcome statement) with respect to setting the advocacy agenda based on the research findings. Stories shared by young women from the three participating countries are interspersed throughout the report.