We are a collective of adolescent girls, young women (AGYW) and young gender-diverse people from across Eastern and Southern Africa held together by our pan-African intersectional feminist politics and the desire to live in a world where we can live in a world free from violence and intersecting inequalities.
We find ourselves navigating a world where adolescent girls, young women and gender-diverse people in Eastern and Southern Africa are 2.5 times more likely than their male peers to acquire HIV. Across our regions the adolescent birth rate is twice the global rate at 92 births per 1 000 girls. We are burdened by multiple intersecting inequalities and barriers to accessing basic services that allow us to enjoy our sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) including healthcare facilities; access to contraceptives and safe abortions; comprehensive sexuality education (CSE); and protection from early forced marriage, genital mutilation, and gender-based violence.
There are multiple intersecting pandemics and shadow pandemics including COVID-19, gender-based violence, political and economic instabilities, racism, gender inequality, homophobia and climate that affect and influence our lives. When it comes to issues, policies and interventions that affect our lives we are in the best position to meaningfully participate in affecting change and creating sustainable changes. We are experts of our experiences, aware of our realities, connected, engaged and the leaders of tomorrow.
We are change makers who envision an equitable world grounded on gender equity; human rights; sexual and reproductive health and rights; equal access to education and basic services and protecting human dignity. We strive for a feminist future that includes…
Gender transformative intersectional feminist SRHR and HIV/AIDS interventions and policies.
We need intersectional feminist gender transformative approaches that will addresses root causes of AGYW and gender-diverse people’s vulnerabilities to HIV while positively changing beliefs, attitudes and behaviours of individuals and communities in favour of gender equality; AGYW and gender-diverse people’s human rights; sexual reproductive health and rights; and ending gender-based violence and other inequalities. We need interventions, policies and solutions centre intersectional feminist approaches, methodologies and principles to ensure that there is an acknowledgement of the different identities and circumstances that shape AGYW and gender-diverse people’s experiences.
Access to youth-friendly healthcare and SRHR services
We envision a world where AGYW and young gender-diverse people have access to youth-friendly healthcare and SRHR services that are responsive to our specific needs, vulnerabilities and desires. These services will succeed in attracting and retaining young clients for continuing care and treatment based on their needs and desires. They will also prioritise an understanding and respect for our bodily autonomy and choices, the need for confidentiality. They will be accessible to all of us irrespective of age, marital status, HIV status, sexual orientation, gender identity, occupation, social status, geographical location or ability to pay.
Access to contraceptives
We envision a world where AGYW and young gender-diverse people have access to contraceptives which are a core component of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care. Access to contraception and services will be free and free of coercion or barriers to access, is a component of the right to health that is central to women’s will contribute to us enjoying our bodily autonomy and agency, assist in propelling gender equality, dignity and other human rights. The increased access will empower us to exercise our right to decide whether to get pregnant, the number and spacing of their children and to have pleasurable and safe sexual experiences without the risk of unintended pregnancies.
Access to comprehensive sexuality education
We envision a world where AGYW and young gender-diverse people have access to comprehensive sexuality education in and out of schools. It is a critical tool for realising bodily autonomy and integrity for AGYW and young gender-diverse people. CSE will contribute to positively addressing negative social and behavioural attitudes that sustain gender inequality. It will also assist with increasing access to and the distributing accurate and scientific SRHR information in affirming and inclusive ways which is particularly important at this stage of our lives as we continue to navigate sexuality and growth in a patriarchal world. CSE will be relevant, pleasure-centred, and context-specific.
Access to safe abortion
We envision a world where AGYW and young gender-diverse people have access to safe abortions. Access to safe abortion services is a human right, a healthcare issue and aa critical component of SRHR. If we continue to be denied timely access to safe and effective abortion services more of us are likely to turn to unsafe means. We look forward to legal, regulatory, policy, programmatic and socio-economic systems being put in place so that we can access safe abortion facilities and services.
Early forced marriage and genital mutilation
We envision a world where AGYW and young gender-diverse people are no longer subjected to genital mutilation and forced marriage which are human rights violations, children’s rights violations, and grave forms of violence against girls, women and women, diverse people. Our strategies to end genital mutilation and forced marriage will be rights-based approach and an integrated policy which addresses the larger systemic issues at play in society that breed such forms of violence, gender inequality and discrimination.