In many rural communities, unemployment is a constant challenge, formal jobs are limited and young people struggle to find jobs. The lack of skills development continues to hinder sustainable development.

When MEC Bukiwe Fanta visited Asherville Senior Secondary School in Graaff-Reinet during the Back-to-School campaign earlier this year, a stakeholder engagement created space for honest reflection on challenges facing the school. School leadership and community representatives raised concerns around limited parental involvement and increasing disciplinary pressures among learners issues identified as barriers to academic progress.

The plight of women particularly rural women in the province is well documented, women in the Eastern Cape experience highest levels of economic exclusion. In pursuit of its commitment to promote empowerment and economic inclusion of women, the Department encourages the establishment of cooperatives, funding of income-generation initiatives, skills development as well as implementation of advocacy programmes to raise awareness on the rights of women.