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Group of youths in Senegal

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Shanshan He: Leading the way for young people

When ShanShan realized that there was a severe lack of support and help for young people around sexual health matters, she knew she had to do something. She signed up to volunteer at the China Family ...

It all started when I hadn’t seen one girl for a couple of months. I was told her boyfriend had broken up with her because she was pregnant. Then the rumors started. “She borrowed money, she is probably going to take an abortion.” “She should be expelled from school.” “Her parents were angry and they beat her.”

I felt sad that young people weren’t being given the chance to receive comprehensive sex education at school and learn how to protect ourselves. I was outraged that when a girl found herself in these circumstances, people and society simply criticized her behavior rather than providing help and supporting her. 

When I first participated in an event hosted by UNFPA in 2014, I was astonished to learn the tremendous number of adolescent girls giving birth every year – 7.3 million in developing countries. In China, 4 out of every 100 unmarried girls aged 15 -24 become pregnant, and almost 90% of those have an abortion. 

Taking into account the huge population in China, I cannot imagine how many young people are suffering due to a lack of information and biased gender attitudes.

What youth leadership means to me

I started to volunteer at the China Family Planning Association (CFPA) an IPPF Member Association as a youth peer educator. I travelled to different provinces and cities providing training on sexual and reproductive health and rights to young people.

Shanshan He Next, I worked with Dance4life as an international trainer. I delivered Journey4life –   a programme designed to build young people’s social and emotional competencies so   they are able to make healthy choices about their lives and feel confident   about their future.

 Through my interaction with different generations, I gradually realized that leadership is   something that happens within yourself. You feel confident about your life, can see   a different world, and are empowered to make changes.

 Being a young leader at IPPF

 20% of IPPF’s board must be represented by young people under the age of 25. I     was elected to the board of my Member Association, the East and South East Asia   & Oceania Region, and the global board. I attend meetings, participate in discussions   and vote on the important matters – just as any other member.

 My fellow youth representatives and I struggled when we first entered this unfamiliar   territory, and had a difficult time finding our position. 

 Were we supposed to comment and participate solely on youth-related issues? Or should we engage with all the matters and discussions? When we speak, which hat are we wearing – young people who receive services, young activists on the ground, or youth leaders shaping the rules?

We learned that we could define our role. It was important to keep reminding ourselves of our focus and shifting hats to ensure more young people are truly represented.

We didn’t elect a chair among the youth representatives. Instead, the youth meeting is chaired by all the members in rotation. We also share the reporting and presentation responsibilities. This shared leadership approach avoids power dynamics and makes sure we don’t forget why we are all here.

Having been through the journey in IPPF, I realized that there is no point waiting until we ‘grow older’ to be a leader.

Leadership has nothing to do with age or gender. We are the leaders, now and in the future: here and beyond!

 

Image: Youth volunteers in Senegal

 

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