“We should be part of the decision-making process, not just asked for photo opportunities”

“I joined INPPARES because of my personal conviction. I grew up in surroundings where teenage pregnancies and early marriages were normalised and where cases of rape were often not brought to justice.”

Young people part of the decision-making process

When it comes to sexual and reproductive health and rights, Alessandro is clear on what young people in Peru and the wider Latin American region need. “To start, they need to know what their rights are. Then, they need to make some noise – unfortunately, we live in a context in which we must raise our voices to get authorities to act – and finally, we need to implement policies on comprehensive sexuality education that are based on young people’s needs and interests. As young people, we should be part of the decision-making process, not just asked for photo opportunities.” 

En-LACES: giving marginalised young people the floor

“En-LACES stands for En Latinoamérica y el Caribe por la Educación Sexual (In Latin America and the Caribbean for Sexuality Education) and was born in 2022 out of an idea of young people from different countries: Mexico, Peru, Colombia, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. It’s a space where young people have the freedom to make their own decisions and where they can freely and respectfully discuss them. We seek to give young people from marginalised backgrounds the floor. They may not feel heard or can’t carry out the activities they want to do. In En-LACES everyone plays a fundamental role in the network, through mutual learning, without anyone feeling superior to anyone else.” 

“Our work consists of providing more and more young people with information about their sexual and reproductive health and rights. The more they know about their rights, the more knowledge and tools young people will have to demand and defend them. Ultimately this will help them make free, informed and responsible decisions about their own bodies and lives.” 

“En-LACES coordinates the work of young people across Latin America. We continuously strengthen our alliances with other organisations with similar objectives. By doing this we are growing a large-scale support network and have a greater reach to young people in Latin America and the Caribbean. We also include more young people through trainings, aiming to make young people feel heard and seen.” 

E-course for young people  

“We created an e-course Sexualidad, sociedad y participación juvenil (Sexuality, society and youth participation) to help others working on our topics. It teaches them about comprehensive sexuality education and how to build partnerships that are sustainable over time. I encourage young people to take it. Often, they realise they can do more than they thought they could.” 

For Alessandro himself, his journey in promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights has only just begun. “After finishing my thesis research, I continue to carry what I’ve learned and use it in my everyday work. I will continue my research and supporting more young people to learn about comprehensive sexuality education. I want to motivate them to not give up. My message to them is: ‘There will be many people on your way who will not want to include you. Just work hard, learn from your successes and failures and ensure you are heard. That is what matters the most.'”