Local unemployment figures indicate that young women in the country are substantially more likely to be unemployed than men.
This is according to the June Employment Insights by, careerJunction. Here are the additional challenges that young women have to contend with when looking for a job, based on data by the employment website:
Gender-based discrimination during the hiring process
Companies may unwittingly demonstrate prejudices that favour male candidates over female ones.
This trend may be seen in industries dominated by males, when male candidates may be preferred despite equivalent qualifications held by women candidates.
Family commitments
Young female workers are more likely to miss work owing to maternity leave or family obligations, such as caring for small children or ageing parents.
Safety and security concerns
With the country’s obscene gender-based violence, certain work environments or aspects of commuting to and from work might not be considered safe for women.
However, when comparing job application rates by gender, statistics found that young women are more engaged in the job search market than their male counterparts.
“Despite these challenges and discouraging unemployment statistics, young South African women are not giving up. It is clear that our young women are persistent, resilient and resourceful. They are willing to take on the world of work in full force,” said CareerJunction.
In addition, there is a higher proportion of young women with university education compared to women over the age of 34, notably in “male-dominated” occupations such as:
Civil/structural engineering
Electrical engineering
Industrial engineering
Electrical and electronic equipment installation/repair
Plant/production control
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