The paper focuses in particular on southern and eastern Africa, where prevalence rates of HIV AIDs are highest and where concerted efforts are being made to address young women in terms of prevention. It also looks more particularly at the role of microfinance, as this is often the only potential source of income for poor young women and adolescent girls. Vocational training is also reviewed. The impact of formal employment or paid work in the informal sector is not considered in this paper, as analysis is still limited and the majority of poor young women can only hope to access the informal sector. Nonetheless some of the findings regarding the need to provide a supportive environment for economic independence may be useful to illuminating issues relating to young women’s empowerment in the context of HIV in the formal sector.