It is a sad reality that a huge proportion of the world’s young people suffer violations of their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

As the articles in this edition of X–Press show, violence whether it is based on gender, sexuality or cultural norms is wide spread and can take place in the home, school or community.

The contributions also highlight the importance of recognizing that violence does not necessarily mean physical violence but also includes emotional and psychological trauma suffered as a result of bullying or verbal harassment.

Being silent on this issue can be fatal.

If we are to protect and promote the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people we need to make every effort to emphasize the importance of individual integrity and respect for each other. This should be done as a matter of urgency!

Contents

• Manifesto corner
• Acid as a weapon
• Violence, a wound that lasts
• End violence, not the culture
• What happened to the safe places?
• Talking about violence
• Where do we go from here?
• X-press yourself on Abortion