Life-skills building and exercise of agency: perceptions of female youth under the uydel youth empowerment program in Uganda

Abstract

Life skills training for young people has gained global attention, as many challenges faced by youths are linked to inadequate development and application of these life skills. Female youths in Uganda have limited access to essential services such as education and employment, which increases their vulnerability to sexual exploitation and unemployment. To ease accessibility of essential services by vulnerable groups, the Youth Empowerment Project at Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDEL) implemented a life skills program among vulnerable slum youth in three divisions in Kampala-Uganda: Rubaga, Nakawa, and Makindye divisions. This study explored how the life skills program builds agency among female youths who participate in the youth empowerment project. The study was conducted in three purposively selected UYDEL drop-in centres in Kampala City, Uganda. A descriptive qualitative multiple-case study design was employed to explore life-skills building and the exercise of agency among 48 purposively sampled female youths aged 14–24 years participating in the Youth Empowerment Project, alongside seven program artisans and social workers. Data were collected through five focus group discussions, eleven in-depth interviews with female youths, and seven key informant interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted, guided by the socio-ecological model, to examine how individual, interpersonal, organisational, and community-level factors interact to shape female youths’ agency in relation to sexual and reproductive health rights and access to employment opportunities. Findings showed that participation in the life-skills program enhanced female youths’ confidence, decision-making abilities, and capacity to act independently in relation to sexual and reproductive health rights and employment. Participants demonstrated increased agency, including initiating HIV testing, choosing contraceptive use, and selecting vocational paths aligned with personal interests. Life-skills training in communication, goal setting, critical thinking, and financial literacy was identified as a key enabler of agency. However, agency was also constrained by interpersonal and structural barriers such as restrictive parental norms, negative past experiences, and community expectations. Life-skills building within the Uganda Youth Development Link Youth Empowerment Project contributed significantly to the development of agency among female youth. Empowerment was most effective when life-skills training was supported by mentorship, psychosocial support, and enabling family and community environments. The study recommends strengthening parental and community engagement, enhancing follow-up support for program graduates, and integrating structural support mechanisms to sustain gains in agency.

Key words: Life skills training, Youth agency, Female youth empowerment, Sexual and reproductive health rights, Employment opportunities