Meeting Report: 3-5 October 2005
“I asked ‘why doesn’t somebody do something?’ Then I realized I was somebody.”
Anonymous
Over the years, youth volunteers across the federation have been actively involved in advocating for sexual and reproductive health and rights.
However, adolescents and advocacy have recently become two of IPPF’s five strategic priority areas and this has led to a renewed commitment to supporting youth-led advocacy initiatives.
The 7th Youth Working Group Meeting was therefore not only a reflection of that commitment but also evidence that with the right support, young people can become vital and effective advocates of sexual and reproductive health rights.
Opposition to young people’s sexuality and reproductive rights remains strong, as demonstrated by the growing popularity of abstinence only sexuality education programmes.
In recognition of this, young people from:
- China
- Philippines
- Sri Lanka
- Nepal
- Bahrain
- Syria
- Denmark
- The Netherlands
- Armenia
- Suriname
- Jamaica
- Cote D’Ivoire
- Ghana
came together with Central Office and Regional Office staff to build capacity, discuss concerns and make recommendations around youth led advocacy on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
The meeting emphasized the importance of youth participation in advocacy initiatives and reinforced the need for greater support to be given to young people to enable them to advocate effectively in support of IPPF’s key priorities, especially in terms of messages relating to adolescent sexual rights, HIV and abortion.
While capacity building is required to better understand the process of advocacy, it was made clear during the meeting that the real challenge lies with developing effective, pro-choice and positive messages on young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights that are in line with IPPF’s mission and values, and are acceptable within diverse socio-cultural contexts.
There is much to be done in the area of youth-led advocacy and the meeting was indeed a significant step in the right direction.
In keeping with the commitment towards the Adolescent and Advocacy “A”s, we look forward to carrying out similar collaborative capacity building initiatives on this subject, so that young volunteers of IPPF will be fully equipped to take part in the movement for sexual and reproductive health and rights for all!