Youth in Action: Mobilizing for Sexual Rights
We’re teaming up with the Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights to create a space for youth advocates and activists to share stories and strategies about advancing and defending sexual and reproductive rights.
Youth in Action: Mobilizing for Sexual Rights will bring together 30 young people to expand their tactical knowledge and strengthen skills through peer-led workshops.
Interested? Join us! 🕔 Applications will be accepted until November 1, 2021 at 5 PM EST
About the Event
Each year, the Rights from the Start Forum bring together advocates in Abya Yala, the region known as the Americas, including Turtle Island, to share knowledge and address critical issues in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
This year's Forum responds to the call for more meaningful youth engagement in sexual and reproductive health and rights advocacy.
The event will be held virtually on:
Friday, November 19, 2021
5:30PM to 7:00PM EST
Saturday November 20, 2021
1:00PM to 5:00PM EST
Objectives
The space aims to cultivate and enrich the discourse on SRHR and mobilize participants, who will share learnings with their networks. It seeks to:
1. Facilitate a space for youth participants to:
- Openly discuss their experiences of SRHR activism and share success stories;
- Broaden their knowledge of diverse strategies for defending and advancing SRHR; and
- Autonomously build and strengthen cross-regional solidarity and alliances.
2. Co-construct outputs to facilitate movement-building through peer networks.
3. Facilitate further civil society, government, and public engagement and responsiveness.
Content
The space will involve a series of youth-led workshops and discussions on creative tactical strategies and stories of engagement, centering on several key elements:
- Strengthening cross-regional solidarity
- Assessing and addressing unequal power dynamics
- Breaking down barriers and targeting gatekeepers
- Creating and communicating effective and inclusive messaging
Why Youth-focused and Youth-led?
Youth are leaders in SRHR activism and advocacy.
Youth engagement is a recognition and resourcing of the work that youth are already doing. It centres (and values) young people's knowledge, skills, and lived experiences.
This year's event addresses our first Forum's findings, where participants highlighted the need for solidarity networks to strengthen youth movements, the provision of tools and allocation of resources to youth, and support for peer-driven knowledge exchange.
Towards Meaningful Youth Engagement
This year’s Forum aims to devote resources to set up a facilitated, self-directed space where youth will lead the conversation, centering their perspectives from start to finish.
Young people are driving the planning process through the Youth Steering Committee (YSC).
The YSC is co-chaired by the Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights with participation from youth advocates from across what is known as Canada and Latin America, and the Caribbean (LAC).
The YSC provides leadership on priority thematic areas, the programme and participants, and best practices in creating youth-friendly spaces.
About Us
Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights
A progressive, pro-choice charitable organization committed to advancing and upholding sexual and reproductive health and rights in Canada and globally. We provide direct support and information, partner with groups and organizations on a range of campaigns using a collaborative, movement-building approach. We work with decision-makers to advance progressive policies on access to abortion, stigma-free healthcare, gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and inclusive sex-ed. Learn more >>
The Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights
An international organization of young people (ages 18-29 years) committed to promoting adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health and rights at the national, regional and international levels. We are students, researchers, lawyers, health care professionals, educators, development workers, and most importantly, we are all dedicated activists. Learn more >>