Youth are capable and YOUTH CAN!
11th August 2022
Young people are essential to holding governments, CSOs and movements accountable for SRHR actions and commitments to be effectively achieved for the youth population.
We are one of the most vulnerable and marginalised populations on issues regarding sexual health, and the most at risk. By keeping governments in check, we are ensuring that all young people globally enjoy their right to quality, comprehensive, affordable, accessible and available sexual and reproductive health information, services and products.
As a member of the SheDecides Youth Accountability Panel, our task is to ensure the movement fulfils its promise on SRHR of women, girls and young people and to equally be intentional on youth governance and leadership all through the movement leadership levels. A movement that centers the leadership, skills, and expertise of young people as key partners within the movement.
Given the increasing challenges with funding, power struggles, tokenism and limited capacity strengthening for young people in the SRHR space, there’s an alarming number of young people left out on this issues. Young marginalised populations in humanitarian settings and hard to reach areas with limited access to technology do not get their voices heard at policy and political platforms which often make decisions concerning their own bodies.
This year as we mark International Youth Day 2022, let’s seek to ensure meaningful and intentional youth leadership at all levels of SRHR from ideation, implementation to evaluation.
Youth are capable and YOUTH CAN!
If I borrow powerful words from new SheDecides champion Ndiilo Nthengwe, I say, “Youth Leadership NOW NOW, not tomorrow but NOW NOW".