By 2050 more than half of Africa’s population will be under 25 years old. The booming population is posing challenges to African countries to meet the educational and employment needs of young people. Governments and organisations need to think creatively if they are to address these challenges. Investing more on gender-sensitive programmes and considering the potential of digital technologies could develop opportunities for youth on the continent. 

Drawing on research from the Youth Forward initiative and the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence programme (GAGE) we address two questions: how can we create better educational and job opportunities for youth – especially young women – in rural and urban Africa? And what role can digital technologies play in this process?