Impact(Ed) International’s Post

As the #ICPD30 Youth Global Dialogue took place on 4 and 5 April in Benin ended, here are the highlights of my participation: ✨ Interacting with youth leaders from across the globe who advocate for the advancement of sexual and reproductive health and rights was both enlightening and inspiring. The event offered a valuable platform for exchanging insights and sharing personal journeys in welcoming, youth-centric environments, fostering meaningful connections with dedicated individuals. ✨ All concurrent sessions offered fascinating insights, making it challenging to select just one. Nevertheless, I gravitated towards discussions on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), strategies to counter anti-rights movements, and youth political participation. ✨ Among the highlights of the dialogue was my role as a panelist in plenary 3, which delved into the theme "Radical Inclusion: Safeguarding Human Rights and Promoting Gender Equality for Youth in All Their Diversity." During my participation,I addressed issues of heterosexism, its obstacles on youth, and the importance of challenging oppression. ✨ The gathering of young advocates from the Arab States was noteworthy. Together, we raised our voices to speak up about the atrocities in Palestine and to aware about the humanitarian crisis and its impact on #SRHR. As we are celebrating the ICPD30, Palestians are suffering from famine and the lack of basic services. ✨ The dialogue culminated with my selection as the youth representative of the Arab States to showcase the key recommendation of the track 5 "rising voices: the power of 1.9 billion young people". It was a glorifying moment to contribute to the global ICPD30 report. I'm grateful for this opportunity to meet such inspiring youth and being part of this global dialogue is a rewarding experience. #ICPD30 #GobalYouthDialogue #SRHR #Youth

I participated in the CSW68 virtual youth forum which was held on March 1 and 2, 2024 online with a vision: Young people and adolescents advance gender equality by tackling poverty and by strengthening institutions The priority theme of CSW68: Accelerating the achievement of equality between men and women and the empowerment of all women and girls by tackling poverty and strengthening institutions and financing from a perspective of equality between men and women. goals: Bringing together adolescents and young people from around the world to: • Amplify the collective voice of young people and adolescents so that it resonates throughout of the CSW68 and contributes to the development of gender-sensitive policies, particularly in regarding poverty and institutional strengthening with a view to equality of sexes. • Create a space for young people and adolescents around the world to connect, strategize and actively participate in high-level discussions on the importance of integrating young people and adolescents into the processes of developing strategies and decision-making, ensuring that their recommendations are not only heard, but also actively taken into account in the formulation of policies. • Promote an environment in which young people and adolescents take ownership of the support for the implementation of locally agreed conclusions. The emphasis is placed on the encouragement of feasible initiatives and the involvement of the base, in accordance with the global agenda of CSW68. • Create opportunities for young people and adolescents around the world to endorse and commit to the global recommendations for young people and adolescents CSW68 which emerged from consultations at community level. This objective aims to transform these recommendations into actionable commitments, ensuring that they are integrated into the broader framework of health policy and practice. gender.

For the past year, PROPEL Health has acted as the secretariat for the Interagency Gender Working Group (IGWG), which is a network composed of nongovernmental organizations, USAID, and USAID cooperating agencies. IGWG’s goal is to advance #genderequality in #globalhealth programs, and the group pursues its mission by focusing on #localvoices, evidence-based approaches, and South-to-South knowledge sharing. Although another project will be managing IGWG in 2024, we want to highlight and celebrate the accomplishments made in 2023. ⭐ IGWG developed recommendations for combatting technology-facilitated #genderbasedviolence (GBV) by addressing backlash, strengthening existing programming, and elevating local voices. ⭐ The group fostered South-to-South knowledge sharing during their #gender knowledge exchange event back in June which featured representatives from 14 countries. In August, they held a plenary discussion about the gender inequities facing #healthworkers during which 43 countries were represented. ⭐ Finally, IGWG's GBV Task Force contributed to the #GBV evidence base in collaboration with Knowledge SUCCESS. In October, the task force convened to explore Knowledge SUCCESS' FP Insight platform and identify GBV-related publications and new innovations to add to the FP Insight collection. Dive deeper into IGWG’s work in 2023: https://lnkd.in/ei8xzMG6.

And it’s a wrap… My final day at #SVRIForum has come to an end. Today’s sessions were inspiring, thought provoking and brought out the themes of resilience, addressing root drivers and realizing that the goal of gender equality will only be attained if we include everyone on the agenda. The morning session on the intersection of GBV, HIV and gender equality included youth participants who explained how despite being victims of abuse, they overcame obstacles to achieve the dreams they had envisioned. I see a future where every person (boy, girl, gender neutral, gender fluid) is able to look inside themselves and tell themselves they can be whoever they want to be if given the opportunity. Life is never stagnant, there are always ups and downs… however, if you are able to realize who you are, what you want to be and who you want to become, there is no stopping you; if not now, an opportunity will arise. Both the plenary and the parallel sessions focused on the intersection of VAC and VAW. Intergenerational cycle of violence is a known phenomenon, but having community mobilization interventions that recognize the intersectionality is key to breaking that cycle. Most of the studies in this area are still nascent addressing VAC and VAW at the individual and interpersonal level. There is still a need to understand and address broader norms which link families to institutions to create multisectoral interventions to address family violence.

Inclusivity: The Way Forward for Gender-Diverse Communities   “The capacity-building workshop strengthens our board’s structure, enabling us to secure vital funding to continue our mission. Supported by organizations such as the Global Fund (CR19 grant), the International Trans Fund, and DFAT, we are focusing on institutional capacity building and community empowerment”, says John. John Pukali, President of the Hetura Network PNG Association, leads a dedicated team committed to empowering the LGBTQ+ community, specifically trans and gender-diverse individuals. John adds, “Since our founding in 2016, we've worked tirelessly across multiple areas, including human rights, mental health, HIV, TB, malaria, maternal health, gender equality, ecological justice, and digital safety.” With a diverse board representing transgender, trans men, lesbian, queer, bi women, gender-diverse persons, youth, and disability, the association ensures everyone’s voice is heard. “We currently operate in NCD Central, Madang, and Morobe, with plans to expand into Western or Gulf Provinces or Mt Hagen in 2025”, adds John. John says that as they move forward, their 2025-2030 strategic plan will serve as the foundation for their future initiatives ensuring that inclusivity and empowerment guide their efforts in creating lasting change for the members of their community. #InclusivityMatters #GenderEqualityNow #StrongerTogether #KPAC

🌟 Promoting Gender Equality for a Brighter Future! 🌟At the Foundation for Adolescent Girls and Young People, we believe in the power of equality to transform lives and communities. Our mission is to empower rural adolescent girls and young people through health, education, economic empowerment, and governance initiatives. 💡 Why Gender Equality Matters:Empowerment: When girls and young women are given equal opportunities, they can achieve their full potential. Economic Growth: Gender equality boosts economic development by creating more inclusive work environments. Health and Well-being: Ensuring equal access to healthcare and education improves the overall well-being of communities. Human Rights: Gender equality is a fundamental human right and a foundation for a peaceful, prosperous world. 🚀 Our Impact in Chongwe and Lusaka:Reached over 300 young people with behavior change campaigns on HIV prevention and menstrual hygiene.Conducted sessions on human rights and sexual reproductive health.Currently working on the SRHR4HER project, addressing the sexual and reproductive health rights of adolescent girls and young women with disabilities in Chongwe,Mongu and Lusaka Districts. https://lnkd.in/dVC7E_7Q 💪💜#GenderEquality #EmpowerHer #FAPEZA #SRHR #InclusiveGenderadvocacy

Community Dialogues are an opportunity to listen to the impact (positive or challenging) a project is having on the intended audience. #SocialImpact #GenderEquitableMasculinities #GenderEquity #Inclusion #CRS

It's indeed a crucial issue that girls face challenges in accessing education due to period stigma and period poverty. Addressing these issues is essential for promoting gender equality and ensuring that all individuals have equal opportunities for education and success. The My Dignity Programme sounds like a commendable initiative. If someone is interested in supporting or finding out more about the program, they can contact the organization through direct messages or by emailing partnerships@myaman.org.za. This is a step towards raising awareness and encouraging collective efforts to end the stigma around menstruation and alleviate period poverty, ultimately supporting the education and well-being of girls. #MenstruationCounselMondays #MyAmanFoundation #periodpoverty #endperiodpoverty #menstrualeducation #periodstruggles #SustainableDevelopmentGoals #WomanEmpowerment #EndPeriodPoverty #BreakingTaboos #PeriodPositive #SustainablePeriods #EcoFriendlyLiving #MenstrualCupRevolution

Why is gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) important in neglected tropical disease (NTD) programming? Abuk Peter - the GESI focal person at the South Sudan Ministry of Health - worked with WI-HER to answer that question in a presentation to representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Carter Center, the World Health Organization, the Christian Blind Mission, and other organizations and agencies. Following the presentation, many stakeholders requested to integrate GESI in other aspects of their work, not only NTDs. #InclusiveDevelopment #Gender #Equity #EndNTDs #HealthOutcomes

Nation Youth Empowerment Uganda, with support from Plan International, empowers adolescents, particularly girls and young women, to become community leaders. Key activities include: 1. Sexual and Reproductive Health Education: Teaching about sexual health, menstruation hygiene, and preventing early pregnancies and STIs. 2. Gender Equality Advocacy: Promoting gender equality and challenging harmful norms. 3. Life Skills Training: Equipping adolescents with decision-making and leadership skills. 4. Community Sensitization: Organizing outreach programs on key issues like early marriage and education. 5. Economic Empowerment: Offering vocational skills and income-generating opportunities. 6. Child Protection: Advocating for child protection and addressing abuse or neglect.