We cannot continue to talk about
sustainable development without considering the needs and aspirations of girls,
youth and women who constitute over 65% of the world’s population.
From April 12 to 17 of this year, I
attended the 48th session of the Commission on population and Development(CPD48) at the United Nations' New York headquarters, New York.
It was a week of rich discussions and
deliberations around fundamental issues like promoting gender equality, youth
empowerment, peace, education, security, health, environment, global
partnership and sustainable development, and among others.
I had the opportunity to meet and
interact with heads of delegations
and governments and together we exchanged
views as well as looked at
key issues affecting girls, women and
youth and their lives, especially when it comes to ensuring their access to
accurate and quality
information, services and education that will allow them to make responsible
decisions and informed choices on their health specifically and their future as
a whole.
On April 17, The Permanent Mission of
Zambia to the United Nations, Aids Accountability International (AAI) and
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) hosted an
African Youth Task Force Initiative panel on “Realising
the Future We Want:The State of African Youth” in
which I had the privileged of speaking on the panel and talk about my work at
the grassroots with young people and how this has
helped popularize SDGs,
the post-2015 process in Cameroon as well as garner government’s support
around key priorities.
Additionally, key highlights on the
presentation included the recent activity I organised - an Intergenerational dialogue
on a youth friendly post2015, action2015 nation campaign, local / national
advocacy and mobilisation of an inclusive post2015 agenda.
I also highlighted the importance of
development vision and actions taking into consideration women and youth rights
and involving them in creating and delivering the agenda.
As I reflect on my experiences at
CPD48, I recall one panelist's words. where he said:"Though SRHR is just
an acronym, the message is simple! it means having basic rights over your own
body."
Unlike the panelist's view, some
member states, especially from Africa dubbed ‘Africa Group’ were constantly in
opposition to defending human rights especially sexual and reproductive health
and rights (SRHR).
The ‘African
Group’ which
supposedly is an Africa States Coalition was speaking not within national
capacities and / or in line with most African countries’ progressive policies.
The influence from the African group impede individual African nations from
speaking into their national capacities.
The ‘African
Group’ is
supposedly an Africa States Coalition that often speaks for Africa / africans.
In as much a coalition movement can bring development, so too can it impede
development. It is worth noting that the Africa group does not speak in any
country’s
national capacity. Often its opinions does not
align with most African countries’ progressive policies. Their influence
however prevents individual African nations from speaking on their own behalf.
The group also overlooks progressive
views on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and also waters down regional
agreements like the Addis Declaration (2013), Maputo Protocol and other
regional treaties and national frameworks that promotes human rights language,
including the respect and protection of individual sexual and reproductive
health and rights.
What saddens me is the fact that
Africa group continue to ignores and rejects languages on SRHR, when over 39
000 of girls as young as 9, 12 and / or 14year-old, majority from Africa have
their SRHR deprived and denied through forced, early marriages, and / or
trafficked into sex slavery and child labor.
In Cameroon, an estimated 53% of
women have experienced some form of violence before reaching 18 years. Also by
age 18, 25.2% are either pregnant or already mothers.Adolescent girls account
for at least 90% of unsafe abortion each year and this remains the leading
cause to increasing maternal mortality in Cameroon. 61% of women of
reproductive age have unmet need for contraceptives and a range of modern
methods (The 2004 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS))
These statistics reveal actual
reality/ conditions on the ground. They show that young people are leading in
new cases of HIV/AIDS, disease, unemployment, and insecurity. Women of all ages
are incapable of exercising and enjoying SRHR."
Yet, there is so much political talk
on building a sustainable future!
It is therefore imperative that in
designing the future that we want, the rights of women and young people must be
prioritized at local, regional, national, and global levels, and special
emphasis must be put on sexual rights and reproductive health and rights.
Let's not make the same mistake of
2000!
------
Further Information
- Click here to watch my four minutes Presentation Video or copy and paste the link on a new browser: https://www.facebook.com/
WFACCameroon/videos/ vb.156289507746061/ 893050647403273/?type=2&theater
Thanks
to the generous contribution of Mandela Washington Fellowship Speaker Travel
Grant program supported by USAID - US Agency for International Developmentand
IREX.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Hi, thanks for taking a moment to read my articles.
Your comments and suggestions are highly welcome.
With all best wishes