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At the United Nations in New York, Rutgers and partners keep the needs of young people front and centre.
As governments meet at the United Nations this week for the Commission on Population and Development (CPD), Rutgers and partners are making sure young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights are impossible to ignore. By bringing youth advocates to the table, where opportunities for rights-based dialogue are shrinking, we push back against efforts to silence them.
And young people have a lot to say. Research by Rutgers (Heart of the Matter – 2023) in 16 countries, shows young people continue to face major barriers to their sexual and reproductive health and rights. The education and information shared in schools doesn’t address the topics that support young people in making healthy and safe choices, youth-friendly health services remain scarce, and in low-income countries, nearly 1 in 2 adolescent girls (15-19) who want to avoid pregnancy lack access to contraception. Globally, 1 in 5 girls are married before 18—a number that nearly doubles in low-income countries(1).
Addressing these challenges is key, especially this week, at the CPD in New York. This year’s theme, Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages, cannot be achieved without prioritising the needs of young people and their sexual health, safety, well-being and rights. Their well-being depends on access to sexuality education and information, as well as essential sexual and reproductive health services, such as contraception and safe abortion care.
This year’s CPD theme, ‘Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages,’ cannot be achieved without prioritising the needs of young people.
Our response? Strength in numbers
But even as young people fight to claim their rights and get their voices heard, ultra-conservative groups are undoing years of progress. From rolling back sexuality education to restricting access to contraception and safe abortion, these groups are making it harder for young people to access the information and services they need. This pushback is playing out across key political forums at the United Nations. Last month, at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, visa denials and safety concerns forced many, particularly from the Global South and LGBTQI+ communities, to reconsider their participation. Now, at CPD, these same strategies threaten to silence the very voices that need to be heard.
Raising the volume, together
From Ethiopia to Kenya to Nepal, young advocates are leading the charge for young people’s health and well-being. Hanna, for instance, works to make sexual reproductive health accessible to young people with disabilities. Robert focuses on raising awareness of human rights violations against women and girls. Riju partners with local governments to improve access to contraception. This week, they are in New York— raising their voices against regressive policies and demanding global commitments that protect the health, rights and futures of over 1.8 billion adolescents and young people worldwide.2
Rutgers stands with them—securing speaking slots, co-hosting events, and advocating for inclusive, rights-based language. By collaborating with civil society organisations, feminist, and youth movements, we ensure their voices take center stage where it matters most.
Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse as Hanna, Robert, Riju, and their fellow advocates strategise, build alliances, and push for commitments that protect young people’s health and rights. Join us in amplifying their voices—because together, we are louder!
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