• Girls and young women on the move face a greater number of challenges in finding jobs and livelihoods, compared to boys and young men.
• Boys and young men on the move were more likely than their female counterparts to think everyone faces the same difficulties finding a job.
• One in four girls and young women on the move believe gender equality and women's rights must be part of learning and skills programs.
• Life and entrepreneurship skills were the most valued competencies for girls on the move, followed by digital skills.
• Training for jobs of the future was essential for 41% of adolescent girls and young women on the move, ten points higher than their male peers.
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Talent is universal, but opportunity – sadly, is not. Many children and young people on the move grow up deprived of an education, learning-to-earning opportunities, and the long-term benefits they afford. For adolescent girls and young women, the gulf between aspirations and opportunities can be even greater.
Only when reached, engaged and equipped with the skills they need, can millions of migrant and displaced girls and young women fully unlock their potential – to become innovators, job creators and pillars of families and communities around the world.
To listen to the voices of young people on the move and learn from their ideas, UNICEF launched a U-Report poll on aspirations and barriers to learning and earning, with a focus on the different experiences of adolescent girls and young women – on the move and from host communities.
Co-created with young people themselves, the poll reached over 42,000 respondents globally, capturing the opinions of more than 8,000 young people on the move, aged 14 to 34, including migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced youth, in 117 countries.
Here's what we learned.
Girls and young women on the move face a greater number of challenges in finding jobs and livelihoods, compared to boys and young men.
Being largely invisible – statistically and politically – and often hard to reach, migrant and displaced youth face numerous barriers to accessing education and jobs, including lack of resources, persistent insecurity, social tensions, and discrimination. Almost all challenges were reported more frequently among girls and young women than boys and young men in the poll.
Adolescent girls and young women on the move are more likely to lack career coaching opportunities, have limited knowledge to start a business, and struggle with qualifications that don’t fit the job market.
Boys and young men on the move were more likely than their female counterparts to think everyone faces the same difficulties finding a job.
However, some young men on the move showed a clear understanding of the different experiences that boys and girls face.
“In my area, being a girl is another big problem. Our girls are left behind – if it's education, work, skills. Many girls have dropped their schools for the sake of early marriage due to lack of financial resources,” said a 22-year-old male refugee in Somalia.
Refugee and asylum-seeking girls and young women more frequently felt that girls face more challenges than boys, at 68% and 64%, respectively. 
One in four girls and young women on the move believe gender equality and women's rights must be part of learning and skills programs.
“We must be aware of the effects of gender inequality and its connection to the challenges we face, such as unequal salaries, less skilled jobs available for women, etc. and speak out against it. We must seek to educate persons entering the work field and, most importantly, ensure that employers are educated,” said a 14-year-old girl from Trinidad and Tobago.
In MENA and Europe and Central Asia, 18% and 15% of youth on the move reported facing gender discrimination when finding a job. And 24% of adolescent girls and young women think it is essential that learning-to-earning programs include training on gender equality and women's rights – almost double the number of males.
“We should fight against discrimination in society. And then we should provide a high level of quality of learning and skills, especially practical skills,” said a 28-year-old migrant man from Afghanistan.
Life and entrepreneurship skills were the most valued competencies for girls on the move, followed by digital skills.
Life skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving were the most sought-after skills for 43% of girls and young women on the move. Entrepreneurship and business development skills were a close second at 38%, followed by ICT and digital skills at 33%. Boys and young men on the move, on the other hand, gave higher importance to vocational skills and ICT skills when looking for a job.
“Individuals can overcome challenges faced in earning a living by learning life skills such as communication and team-work and also vocational skills such as hairdressing and carpentry,” said a 15-year-old migrant girl in Nigeria.
Training for jobs of the future was essential for 41% of adolescent girls and young women on the move, ten points higher than their male peers.
When selecting learning programs, girls and young women on the move were more likely to focus on more than one skill – 41% sought training for jobs of the future, compared to 31% for boys, and 30% of girls and young women on the move are looking for networking opportunities, compared to only 18% of their male counterparts. A safe learning environment was a priority for 42% of girls and young women on the move, compared to 32% of boys and young men. And flexibility for family commitments was essential to 27% of girls and young women on the move, compared to 21% of boys and young men. 
What’s next?
The U-Report poll results show girls on the move and those from host communities experience similar barriers in accessing learning-to-earning opportunities and share the same views on gender differences. Results also exposed the gap between the aspirations of adolescent girls and young women on the move, and their opportunities to get ahead. It highlighted the different perceptions of boys and young men and girls and young women in recognizing the impact of gender – and shows there is more to do.
The voices of youth are a call to action for governments, policy makers, donors and partners, from the public and private sector and civil society, to do more to bridge the gap between aspirations and opportunities and to unlock the wealth of untapped talent on the move.
To foster the talents, skills and potential of every girl and young woman on the move, we need to:
• Address gender norms and ensure a safe learning environment for all. Supporting adolescent girls and young women on the move to pursue their aspirations means making some fundamental changes in social norms, attitudes and behaviors towards girls and women. Working with boys and young men as champions is key to changing minds in our families, homes and communities.
• Ensure education systems respond to changing job markets and demand, and equip adolescent girls and young women on the move with skills that will prepare them for jobs of the future, such as critical thinking, adaptability and entrepreneurship.
• Empower adolescent girls and young women on the move to become financially resilient by providing mentorship, income-generating skills and the skills and financial assistance to start businesses.
To tap into this potential, we need to work with adolescent girls and young women on the move and provide opportunities to co-create. Let’s listen to them carefully and do nothing about them without them – they can and must be part of the solution.
This global consultation was undertaken in partnership with the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
