The Decade of Action

Written by Michelle Belfor, UNOY Young Peacebuilders’ Forum participant, Youth Advisory Group of the UNFPA Suriname

2020 marks the start of the decade of action. One where young people are standing at the forefront of advocacy and activism as changemakers. Time is running out! We need to take action RIGHT NOW!

This year on March 8th we celebrate International Women’s Day. Some mark this as a day to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across nations, while others galvanize worldwide action to empower women to gain full and equal access to global development. It’s very important to celebrate the success of the women that have ignited change before us. Especially since this year marks the decade of action towards the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals agenda and the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

As a youth advocate for Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), I am acknowledging the progress that has been made but I am also aware that there is still much work to do, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean. Family planning remains one of the most important human rights and should always be at the center of women’s development. It is essential to securing the well-being and autonomy of women, while supporting the health and development of communities but it still remains a challenge for women to fully exercise their SRHR rights.

1. One of the main challenges is the improvement of our sexual reproductive health sector in making it (more) accessible to young people. We must ensure that every staff member – from health providers to receptionists – receives training in adolescent development and in treating youth respectfully. SRH services are also not inclusive. Looking at the diversity we have among young people today, it is very important that these services are available and accessible to all young people with the emphasis on young people from the LGBTQI+ community. Often this marginalized group is left out, feeling excluded or discriminated against because these services often target heterosexual couples. LBTQI+ youth should not be subjected to heterosexist assumptions on the part of the health provider or staff.
2. We need to ensure that all Latin American and Caribbean youth have access to age appropriate information services required to adequately protect yourself from gender-based violence, unwanted pregnancies, HIV & sexually transmitted diseases. We need to include comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in the school curriculum to support young people’s empowerment by improving their analytical, communication, and other life skills for health and well-being in relation to sexuality, human rights, values, healthy and respectful relationships, cultural and social norms, and gender equality. It also expands young people’s knowledge and improves their attitude to sexual reproductive health and behaviours. 
3. Laws and policies on abortion should protect women’s health and their human rights. More than 97% of women of reproductive age in Latin America and the Caribbean live in countries with restrictive abortion laws. The grounds for legal abortion should be broadened and access to safe abortion services improved to reduce the number of clandestine procedures and the negative consequences that often result. Programs and policies that improve women’s and men’s knowledge of, access to, and use of contraceptive methods must be implemented to reduce unintended pregnancies—and the abortions or unplanned births that often follow. Aside from that, the provision and quality of post-abortion care should be improved and expanded to reduce illness and death from unsafe abortion.
4. Another main challenge is strengthening our government institutions. While significant progress has been achieved in strengthening the legislative and policy environment, some challenges continue in achieving the set targets. Translating evidence-based regional legislation and policies into annual plans, regulations, and programs that are not only implemented but also guided by operational plans and regular monitoring, which remains a big challenge. Policy incoherence and lack of institutional capacities is one of the main bottlenecks across the LACRO region. Support is needed at strategic, policy and institutional levels. We need to develop the capacity to achieve truly equal partnerships.
5. We need to use South-South cooperation as a mechanism to strengthen our advocacy strategies and SRH programs. We need a systematic approach. There are countries within the region making significant changes towards the achievement of gender equality and women’s rights. A lot of movements arise, like the feminist movement in Chile and the rise of women’s rights advocates in the Caribbean. More safe spaces need to be created/enabled in which think tanks and experts from the region can share information and knowledge easily and freely to strengthen and support youth organizations/networks in their role. South-South cooperation also needs to move beyond knowledge sharing to deliver lasting partnerships and concrete results that benefit young people’s lives in the long run.

The realization of reproductive rights for all people is essential to fulfill the pledge of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that “no one will be left behind”. 2020 marks the start of the decade of action. One where young people are standing at the forefront of advocacy and activism as changemakers. Time is running out! We need to take action RIGHT NOW!