Pizza Hut, Yes launch local LeadHERship initiative

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“This initiative will assist these young women by providing them with quality 12-month working experiences, making them more employable in the future. A young woman is six times more likely to receive a call back after an interview if she possesses a legitimate reference letter. The goal is to empower young and vulnerable women in marginalised communities by developing strategies for their employability and personal development,” said Ewan Davenport, managing director at Pizza Hut.

Breaking down structural, socioeconomic barriers

According to Stats SA, South African women make up 36.4% of the unemployed population, while women between the ages of 15 and 34 make up 48.7% of the unemployed youth.

"Through this programme, with our implementation partners (IPs), Yes has already placed 109 women in health services, creative entrepreneurial collectives, literacy programmes and schools. With the success of the initiative thus far, we continue to contribute to breaking down the structural and socioeconomic barriers and providing women an equal opportunity to play a role in the working world,” said Yes acting COO, Leanne Emery Hunter.

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The IPs where the young women have been placed are:

• Youth Health for Africa is a youth-focused organisation and an affiliate of the Aurum Institute. The 28 YES women will work in clinics, hospitals, and communities to champion sustainable impact and address key social determinants of health.
  
• YCC (Youth Content Collective) helps turn young, black creatives into micropreneurs. The programme helps photographers, videographers, and illustrators monetise their talents while delivering on the business community’s need for fresh, authentic creative assets. Twenty-six women have joined the programme.
  
• Click Learning, which deploys online English literacy programmes in underprivileged primary schools across South Africa, coordinates 27 young women, who will help facilitate these literacy programmes in school computer labs.
  
• Youth@worK provides 28 women with a supported, meaningful year of work experience. The youth were previously unemployed and were recruited across the arts, entertainment and recreation and education sectors.