The menace of unemployment is influencing Afghan society to a large extent. Though Afghanistan has a very young population, which means that it has great potentials that can support the country in development and economic growth, the country has not been able to provide job opportunities to its youngsters and thus it is not able to take advantage of this distinction.
As the country has been largely dominated by different era of disorder and instability, the socio-economic infrastructure has not been developed much and as a result the job opportunities have always been limited. Though Afghan society is an agricultural society, the sector has not been able to absorb a large number of unemployed people. Mostly the people have been engaged in agricultural activities on personal basis and the sector has not been developed into an industry on modern grounds; therefore, the ones who own lands can benefit from them while the ones who do not own such lands are bound to remain out of work.
The frustration among the youngsters regarding unemployment is increasing with each passing day and they have been depicting it in various ways. On Sunday, October 18th, dozens of youth staged a protest in the capital Kabul against the increasing unemployment. They demanded that within a week’s time the concerned ministry must take actions in this regard; otherwise its gates would be closed.
The protestors shouted slogans against the menace of unemployment and they rightfully mentioned that it was one of the key reasons behind insecurity, frustration, migration and ethnic differences. They complained that the National Unity Government was not able to address the challenge of growing unemployment and shattered their hopes.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD) agreed that the issue of unemployment had turned into a great challenge for the unity government. He mentioned that the decrease in foreign aid and rising insecurity had greatly hindered government’s efforts to create jobs. According to statistics from National Workers Union (NWU), as many as 16 million people in the country are eligible to work, out of which three million have jobs and the remaining are jobless.
Such a scenario is really pathetic and requires immediate attention. It has to be understood that there are clear links between the increasing unemployment and rising insecurity. The people who have not been employed have mostly become the part of terrorist networks or the filthy business of narcotics, or even they have become addicted to drugs. As they do not have any other work to do or any way of making both ends meet they do not have much option but to join insurgency.
More than any other thing, government must concentrate on providing job opportunities to the educated youngsters and thus pave the way for prosperity and development. It is really unfortunate to note that the youth who should be having a constructive role in the country are now supporting the ranks of the terrorists.
It is essential for Afghanistan to create job opportunities for its population. Job opportunities would definitely enable the residents of the country to make positive use of their capabilities for betterment and development of a society. It is important to understand that a state and its population are highly dependent on each other. It is difficult to imagine any of them living separately. As the state guarantees better life opportunities for its population, the population in return must, through thinking and action, strive to make the state stronger.
However, if the job opportunities remain limited and the unemployment remains rampant, the consequences will be really severe. Though unemployment in itself is a severe problem, it is also the root of many other problems. Unemployment is basically an injustice done to a population. It is basically the unavailability of jobs when there are people who have the required qualifications to be employed for different positions. Thus it is injustice, as the qualified people do not get what they deserve – a respectable profession to join so as to use their education and knowledge.
The people who spend a lengthy process of completing their education or acquiring particular skills should be absorbed by the job industry as soon as they are ready to work. Failure to provide such an opportunity may influence those people to a great extent. They, in order to live alive, need to earn a livelihood, which is threatened by unemployment; therefore, they seek to find out other ways of earning a livelihood. In the process they either join a profession that may not be of their choice or they may join illegal ways of earning, which would damage the society to a large extent.
It is also feared that in the post withdrawal era, the country would face major economic challenges. The financial support has already started decreasing for Afghanistan. In near future one of the biggest challenges would be to create job opportunities for Afghan people. In absence of sufficient job opportunities, it would be really very difficult to maintain peace, tranquility and order. The international community and the Afghan authorities must make sure that they create enough jobs so as to save the country from falling into instability and economic crisis.
The role of economy is very much vital for a country. It, for a country, is as important as circulatory system within a human body. As without circulatory system blood cannot be pumped through different parts of the body, in the similar fashion without economy, money and other basic requirements of life cannot reach to different parts of a country. And the economic system can only be strengthened when the capable and skilled individuals participate in strengthening the economic system. Especially the youngsters who get qualified from universities must be given opportunities to present and use their skills in the profession of their choice and interest. Young blood equipped with determination and patriotism can definitely play a significant role; all they need is equitable treatment from the prevailing system. Moreover, equal job opportunities must be created for girls and women as well, as they form an integral part of Afghan populace and can play a tremendous role in improving Afghan economic system.