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A new report, launched today at Women Deliver puts the spotlight on the reality of the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people. In the next year, decision-makers will be gearing up to review the ICPD Programme of Action, a crucial time to hold governments accountable to their commitments. They can’t look away from the successes and shortcomings. Youth leader Weston Mfunya from Malawi: “There are 1.8 billion adolescents globally, ignoring their SRHR needs can have far-reaching consequences.”
The report, The Heart of the Matter: Embrace the reality of young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights today, gives a comprehensive insight into the reality of young people’s SRHR and how well governments are implementing their commitments made in 2019. It covers 16 countries and 4 regions and echoes the voices of young people. This report will provide perspective and a direction for change for advocates and decision-makers.
Faltering enthusiasm and new-found passion
A lot has been achieved since 179 countries committed to SRHR in 1994, but hurdles to embracing sexual and reproductive health and rights remain. The evidence in the report demonstrates what young people deal with on a daily basis: in low- and middle-income countries, 43% of adolescents aged 15-19 who want to avoid a pregnancy have an unmet need for contraception. Globally, one in five girls are married or in an informal union by the age of 18 – a number that almost doubles in the lowest-income countries – and female genital mutilation remains rampant.
“For too long, young people's SRHR has remained a negotiable subject for governments and policymakers and a taboo subject to many”Aastha Subedi
Even where progressive policies are in place, the gap between legislation and daily realities can be stark. “For too long, young people’s SRHR has remained a negotiable subject for governments and policymakers and a taboo subject to many,” says Aastha Subedi, acting president of Nepali youth-led organisation YUWA.
The last ICPD review in 2019 was a success, with many governments making practical commitments for their countries. However, this enthusiasm faltered as the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and high energy prices hit countries. At the same time growing backlash from anti-right movements threatens to take away hard-fought rights .
“Governments need to become passionate again,” says Marieke van der Plas, Executive Director at Rutgers. “They must find the political will to halt this deterioration and take actions for change. As many as possible should stand behind this agenda and acknowledge how urgent it is. We must ensure high-level commitments are followed up on and filter down to the national and local policy level.”
“The heart of the matter when it comes to improving sexual and reproductive health and rights for young is all about freedom and the right to life”Ana Gabriel Zúñiga Aponte
Young people’s voices echoed
The Heart of the Matter doesn’t just set out what young people face when it comes to sexual and reproductive health and rights, it amplifies their needs and perspectives.
Aastha emphasises: “Young people have unique needs. They also have innovative solutions to fulfil these needs. Embracing the realities of young people in all diversities and their unique needs along with keeping them at the forefront to identify and implement the solutions is the need of the time.”
“Governments have an opportunity to harness young people’s energy and innovations in decision-making around SRHR,” says Weston from Malawi. “Young people will ensure that the solutions put forth are responsive to their needs and realities.”
“The heart of the matter when it comes to improving sexual and reproductive health and rights for young people in Latin America and the Caribbean is all about freedom and the right to life”, says Ana from Costa Rica. “Currently, in many countries in the region, young people are criminalised and our lives are endangered due to lack of legal frameworks that safeguard and guarantee our SRHR.”
Are you ready to embrace the reality of young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights?
Countdown to 2024
The launch of The Heart of the Matter at Women Deliver in Kigali kicks of a year-long global campaign to embrace the reality of young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights. It comes with free open-source materials that can inform regional and national SRHR campaigns in the run-up to the review of ICPD in 2024.
Visit The Heart of the Matter’s hub page to find the full report, a summary and all the materials to use the report in your own national or regional advocacy campaign: rutgers.international/icpd30
