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Are Young People in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa Caught in Waithood?

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Are Young People in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa Caught in Waithood? Issue 178 May 2021 Are Young People in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa Caught in Waithood? The idea that large numbers of young people in sub-Saharan Africa are stuck in waithood – trapped between childhood and adulthood – dominates international development policy discourse. The belief Nuancing the is that because there are no jobs, young people cannot attain narrative social markers of adulthood. Waithood has proved itself to be a very around attractive way to frame debates and promote youth employment interventions. But research challenges two aspects of the waithood waithood story: that young people are inactive; and that work is the only route would align into adulthood. Caution and nuance are required to prevent waithood policy with becoming another catchy term that does little to improve policy. the realities Key messages of youth – In recent years, the notion of waithood has been integrated into engagement policy discourse in relation to youth in sub-Saharan Africa. in the rural – The key propositions are that most African young people are stuck economy. in waithood because they cannot enter the labour market, which is assumed to be necessary for them to attain social markers of adulthood. – In policy discourse, the term waithood is often reduced to meaning ‘sitting around doing nothing’. – Evidence challenges this overly simplistic waithood story. In rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, sitting around is simply not an option. Also, there are multiple ways to attain social markers of adulthood, of which engagement in the labour market is only one. – Nuancing the narrative around waithood would align policy with the realities of youth engagement in the rural economy, and young people’s transitions and pathways to adulthood. Marjoke Oosterom ids.ac.uk and James Sumberg Waithood – a term reduced to lack of engagement in antisocial behaviour and work and inactivity to radicalisation. Over the past decade the notion of waithood Honwana makes the bold claim that has become integral to policy discourse in ‘the majority of young Africans today live in relation to youth in sub-Saharan Africa. The term waithood’. But does this story of generalised started to gain popularity after anthropologist waithood ring true for young women and men Alcinda Honwana described it as: in rural sub-Saharan Africa? a prolonged and uncertain stage Too busy to wait between childhood and adulthood Between 2017 and 2020, a consortium led by that is characterized by their inability to the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), enter the labour market and attain the with funding from the International Fund for social markers of adulthood… Waithood Agricultural Development (IFAD), undertook is a neither-here-nor-there position in research on young people’s engagement which young people are expected to with the rural economy in sub-Saharan be independent from their parents but Africa. The research included analysis of are not yet recognised as social adults. nationally representative household surveys No longer a brief transitional stage in from Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Niger, Nigeria, the life-course, waithood is becoming a Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. In addition, permanent condition. qualitative fieldwork was conducted in The suggestion is that waithood arises Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Uganda. because of lack of opportunities for young Across a total of 16 sites, the qualitative work people to enter the labour market. In other included 64 group discussions, 416 individual words, labour market activity is the primary interviews with young people (aged 15–33) pathway to adulthood. And if young people and 92 interviews with adults. are not able to work, they cannot gain Our research in 16 rural sites in four social markers of adulthood, such as leaving countries challenges the waithood story in two home, getting married, having children and important ways. The first is that any suggestion contributing to community life. that large numbers of rural youth are simply In articulating the story of waithood in waiting or inactive is clearly misplaced. We sub-Saharan Africa, Honwana makes it clear found young people in all sites to be engaged that being in waithood is not synonymous in a wide variety of farm and non-farm with doing nothing. Indeed, she suggests economic activities – paid and unpaid – as that young people in waithood are ‘creatively well as studying, working in the home, caring harnessing all the means at their disposal to for children and elders, and undertaking manage their lives’. Despite this, the idea religious and community activities. that many young people are inactive, with Most young people work hard doing a their lives on hold, has become closely variety of productive and caring activities. associated with the discussion of waithood. However, it is certainly true that in most rural For some commentators, this inactivity makes areas there is a dearth of formal jobs, and young men, in particular, vulnerable to most of the opportunities for self-employment and informal wage work are a long way from anything approaching decent work. Many young people do not feel respected for the work they undertake to support themselves Young people attain social and their families. markers of adulthood without The second challenge arises from the fact engaging in the labour market. that young people attain social markers of ids.ac.uk adulthood without engaging in the labour market. For example, many young women and men profess a strong commitment to fulfilling Improve policy coherence by society’s expectations of what it means to prioritising youth be a good daughter or son. And in following through on this commitment they gain respect participation as much as in the community by caring for younger youth employment. siblings, parents or elders. Marriage is an important marker of This is far too simplistic. It has led to policy adulthood and it is clear that a lack of responses that prioritise youth employment resources stops some young people from over youth participation in decision-making, marrying. However, even outside of formal overlooking other aspirations young people marriage, young women bear children and may have, such as gaining technical skills and move out of the natal home, which are also qualifications. Especially for rural areas, the important markers of adulthood that some question of what ‘decent’ work is and how it attain independent of their engagement with can be promoted, is largely absent from policy the labour market. debates around rural youth. While being an active citizen and playing The problem is that a large gap exists a role in the community are other dimensions between much of what is asserted about of adulthood, few of our respondents waithood on the one hand, and the lives and livelihoods of many young women and men were actively engaged in formal politics. in rural sub-Saharan Africa on the other. This Most young people see older generations gap means that waithood-inspired policy and dominating the existing channels to influence interventions are unlikely to be either effective what matters in their lives. or efficient in benefitting young people. Rural, more marginalised populations are Waithood is not about waiting, but active generally far removed from decision-making negotiation and claim-making. Young people and poorly represented. But an additional are constantly negotiating different aspects hurdle for young people is that their age of their lives, from educational and work further limits their opportunities to make their opportunities to marriage and other social voices heard. This challenge is more profound relationships, social norms and expectations. for young women due to patriarchal norms. Indeed, they are all looking for (better) work Besides the few who aspire to become opportunities and economic activities that ‘politicians’, the feeling is that rural people can increase their earnings. Yet they are overall do not enjoy full and substantive also looking for more social recognition and citizenship, independent of whether or how respect for whatever it is they are doing, while they engage with the labour market. seeking to enhance their social standing in other ways than through work. If waithood Rethinking the rush to waithood is understood as claim-making, then this It is well known that catchy terms and simple opens up the debate about supporting youth but compelling narratives can crystallise to fulfil their aspirations to the promotion of debates and drive policy in particular active citizenship, and social and political directions. There is a strong argument that this participation. is exactly what is happening as the notion of waithood is increasingly integrated into policy discourse around youth in rural Africa. The popularity of the term has led to its reduction to ‘waiting for jobs’, and work as the only avenue to adulthood. ids.ac.uk Policy recommendations – Improve policy coherence by prioritising The focus on rural youth in sub-Saharan youth participation as much as youth Africa is likely to remain strong over the employment. coming years. In the light of important – Acknowledge that, as well as the tensions between elements of the waithood significant influence of location and narrative and the lives of many rural young social factors such as gender, age and people, policymakers, youth advocates and ethnicity on who can access economic development practitioners should: and other opportunities, local and national politics play important roles. – Stop repeating the idea young people – Explore alternative ways of framing are ‘waiting’ and recognise the many problems, which highlight the lack economic and other activities they are of formal and decent employment involved in. opportunities in rural areas (as opposed – Recognise that there are multiple to a general lack of labour market ways young people can attain the engagement); the hard work that social markers of adulthood, and that many young people invest in building engagement in the labour market, while livelihoods; and the hazards they face clearly important, is only one of them.
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