WOMEN
On the surface, overall financial inclusion trends in Uganda do not reveal a pronounced gender disparity. However, a closer analysis of data shows a gap in the access to and usage of formal finance.
The percentage of women depending exclusively on informal financial services (23%) is much higher than that of men (15%) due to prevailing economic and social factors.
While these informal financial services play an important role in monetary flows among lower-income individuals, they come with their unique set of challenges.
Market actors need to tailor programs that address the unique barriers women face accessing and using formal financial services.
FSD Uganda is proactively mainstreaming gender in its operational set up, programming activities, and collaborations.
We are also actively creating awareness of the importance of gender disaggregated and building capacity within policy makers, regulators and financial service providers to collect and analyse this information for inclusive planning and programming.
*Finscope 2018
YOUTH
According to the Uganda National Household Survey (UNHS) data, Uganda’s youth labour force (18 to 30 years) increased from 4.6 million in 2002/3 to 6.8 million in 2016/17. Notably, even with this growth in numbers, the share of youth in the country’s labor force remained static over time.
Access to inclusive financial tools will play a critical role in empowering young people to make economic decisions, secure their livelihoods and escape poverty.
To tap into the potential of the youth demographic, policy makers, regulators and financial service providers need to be cognisant of the hurdles young people face in accessing formal finance, and design programs that will meet them at their point of need.
The labour force for the 18 to 30 Y.O. is increasing fast, from 4.6 Million in 2002/2003 to 6.8 Million in 2016/2017
- The 2002-2017 CAGR for the Youth labour force is slightly lower than the Youth population, indicating a slower gross rate
- The male labour force in this age bracket has grown more rapidly than the female’s (CAGR of 2.9% vs 2.4%)
- Growth has also been higher in urban areas than in rural ones(CAGR of 6.3% compared to 1.6%)
*Uganda National Household Survey (UNHS)
Source: Various rounds of the UNHS; 2002/03, 2005/06, 2009/10 and 2016/17
Evolution of the Youth Labour Force (In Million)
2002 - 2017 CAGR*: 2.6%
The level of education of the overall labour force has been increasing and now more than a third of them has completed at least some secondary education
- The level of education of the 14-64 y.o. has been increasing
- Only 10% has no education in 2016/17, compared to 18% in 2002/03
- A growing share has completed some secondary education or more
- Several categories have had a higher level of education over time such as male, individuals living in urban areas, in Kampala and in the Central region
