Paper short abstract:

Presentation of research that applies an intersectional lens to examine the effects of physical and sociocultural urban spaces on the economic empowerment of marginalised adolescent girls and young women in Mozambique.

Paper long abstract:

The speakers would like to contribute towards deepening our understanding of how urbanisation is affecting the economic empowerment of marginalised adolescent girls and young women, through presenting analysis that applies a multi-spatial and multi-sectoral lens to the experiences of urban youth in Mozambique. The paper presents research conducted by the UKAid funded, and Oxford Policy Management implemented, MUVA programme. Between 2015 and 2022, MUVA supported the economic empowerment of marginalised adolescent girls and young women in several urban centres across Mozambique, with a focus on increasing their access to quality jobs.

The research applies an intersectional lens to interpret how the physical and sociocultural features of the city impact upon the agency of adolescent girls and young women in Mozambique’s more disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods. Using qualitative and quantitative data on the perceptions and lives of urban youth, the research examines the opportunities and barriers for economic empowerment associated with urbanisation. The research presents encouraging outcomes in the area of education and support for women in leadership positions amongst urban youth. At the same time, young women appear to be in a much more disadvantaged position compared to young men when it comes to employment, where they continue to face barriers in accessing quality jobs. The research shows how these less encouraging outcomes are connected to constraints on their agency and participation due lower levels of physical mobility, social capital and digital inclusion for marginalised young women in disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods.