The YIELD Hub has convened a diverse group of stakeholders to advance collective action learning on how systematic youth partnership can address the gender discrimination and exclusion experienced by young female and gender diverse youth leaders in AYSRHR.This first action learning cycle will support the core group members to reflect on the YIELD Gender Issues paper: The Gendered Experience of Youth Participation and Leadership in Sexual and Reproductive Health and come up with solutions on cultivating a norm where gender equity is prioritised in engaging young people in AYSRHR.
We asked the core group members, on their motivation to join the gender action learning cycle and this is what they had to say:
Ana Aguilera
Deputy Director, Adolescent and Youth SRHR, EngenderHealth
“Engender Health is excited to contribute to this Action Learning Group because we understand that gender equality and SRHR are inextricably linked and that many of the factors that perpetuate gender inequality and systematic discrimination are what hold young female, young leaders and non-binary youth back from leading initiatives in their communities. We know that gender-transformative change begins with ourselves and are committed to continuing to reflect, challenge, and change our own practices and behaviors.”
Laxman Belbase
Co-Director, Men Engage Alliance
“We believe that Action learning facilitates interaction and sharing of resources to support young people’s participation and leadership. It creates space for cross-regional and intergenerational learning on gender equality and masculinity. By participating in this cycle, we aim to broaden transformative leadership among youth leaders to push through barriers that hold back the practice of quality youth engagement and partnership in AYSRHR and the gender equality agenda broadly.”
Olaoluwa Abagun
Executive Director, ATHENA Network
“ATHENA is keen to engage in the co-creation of new and relevant knowledge around meaningful youth participation in the gender space alongside diverse stakeholders. We look forward to implementing some of the best practices that are shared in the action learning cycle while working with funders and researchers to also action other relevant recommendations.”
Denia Arteaga Garcia
Program Officer, Seattle International Foundation | CamyFund
“We hope to be able to learn from each of the members and exchange experiences and knowledge between the countries involved. Through action learning, we want to create and strengthen key strategic alliances for access to Sexual Rights and Reproductive Rights of youth in Latin America. Establish work dynamics that allow the construction of collective and holistic processes to strengthen youth autonomy and replicate the processes and methodologies in other youth-oriented spaces within Mesoamerica and LAC.”
Nafisa Ferdous
Senior Program Manager, Restless Development
“I hope to connect with other partners in this field and contribute global and national lessons/best practices as experienced by youth and staff at Restless Development.”
Kyendikuwa Allen Namayanja
Senior Programmes Advisor, The Global Network of Young People Living with HIV
“To understand the systematic gendered discriminations and how they affect women at workspaces. We also hope to incorporate action learning outcomes in our ways of working.”
