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15/11/2022

A world of 8 billion people is a world of infinite possibilities. See what this milestone for humanity means for both people and the planet: https://www.unfpa.org/8billion

#8BillionStrong

05/10/2021

The Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) programme is an initiative of the UNFPA aimed at giving a voice to young people across the world.  At the global level, as well as in some country offices, UNFPA has established Youth Advisory Panels to empower young people to participate in decisions that affect them and to express views and opinions in accordance with basic human rights principles and the Convention in the rights of a child. The YAP demonstrates a shift away from working for young people, to working in partnership with young people to ensure youth-friendly approaches and action. It was also established as a means to foster open dialogue and exchange between UNFPA, UN Agencies, government, youth groups and youth-serving groups. It is a mechanism to advise UNFPA and all other developmental stakeholders of the strategic opportunities and actions to address adolescent and youth issues within the organizational mandate.The Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) programme is an initiative of the UNFPA aimed at giving a voice to young people across the world.  At the global level, as well as in some country offices, UNFPA has established Youth Advisory Panels to empower young people to participate in decisions that affect them and to express views and opinions in accordance with basic human rights principles and the Convention in the rights of a child. The YAP demonstrates a shift away from working for young people, to working in partnership with young people to ensure youth-friendly approaches and action. It was also established as a means to foster open dialogue and exchange between UNFPA, UN Agencies, government, youth groups and youth-serving groups. It is a mechanism to advise UNFPA and all other developmental stakeholders of the strategic opportunities and actions to address adolescent and youth issues within the organizational mandate.

30/06/2020

The evidence is clear: When girls are given the power to make an informed choice about marriage, they marry later. Laws are an important first step, but programmes are also needed to empower girls with information about their rights and educate parents about the benefits of keeping their daughters in school.

30/06/2020

As more and more women, girls, men and boys learn about FGM and its harm, opposition to the practice is growing. In the last two decades, the proportion of girls and women in high-prevalence countries who want the practice to stop has doubled.

Somalia-born Ifrah Ahmed campaigns to end female genital mutilation. Here she describes her fight to end this injustice against women and girls.

30/06/2020

Around the world, girls are subjected to child marriage, female genital mutilation and son preference. They are denied their equality and their humanity. We have the tools to end these harmful practices. We have seen solutions that work. What we need now are the investments. And the will.

30/09/2019

UNFPA’s flagship programme, Safeguard Young People (SYP), responds to the urgent needs of millions of young people, charting a new way forward for Southern Africa.

The SYP Programme uses innovative approaches to achieve better sexual and reproductive health outcomes for adolescents and young people at national scale, making it the first of its kind in the region.

At the heart of the programme is the belief that young people need to be supported holistically in their own diverse and often complex environments so they can truly realize their full potential. This means the programme works at regional, national and local levels. And it works with governments, traditional leaders, civil society, parents, teachers, nurses and – most importantly – youth themselves.

11/10/2019

 

 

Adolescents and youth are a priority in UNFPA’s mandate and in all advocacy efforts and programmes worldwide. In South Africa, 41% of the national population is made up of young people between the ages of 14 and 35 years. The South African National Youth Policy places a commitment towards prioritising the needs of young people with respect to education, health and well-being, economic participation and social cohesion.

16/10/2019

Nzululwazi learners and young people in the community are sexually active from an early age. Many stakeholders acknowledge that learners reflect the norms and values of the surrounding community. Most are motivated to have sex out of curiosity. While instances of coerced sex appear low, the influence of others plays an important role. Levels of SRH risk are linked to living circumstances, with boarders more vulnerable. The Child Support Grant has diminished learners’ fear of pregnancy and many now regard it as ‘fashionable’ to get pregnant and are more concerned about HIV and AIDS. Some see cultural beliefs as the cause of the problem, while others cite modernity and the undermining of tradition. Virginity testing (Inciyo) is generally avoided or subverted. Learners claimed high (87%) use of contraception, with about half using condoms, while approximately 18% use the injection and very few use other forms of contraception. HIV and AIDS are now less feared due to the availability of treatment and the fact that stigma has diminished. While learners appear to have broad knowledge of HIV and AIDS, the majority have a very poor understanding of HIV and AIDS transmission risks. Forty-eight percent of the learners expressed the need for more knowledge about STIs and HIV and AIDS.

20/06/2019

The YAP( youth Advisory Pan gives young people a voice and helps to guide UNFPA’s priority-setting in this core area of our mandate and involves young people and youth-serving organisations in advising UNFPA in the design of youth-friendly policies and programmes from a results-based perspective. The YAP demonstrates a shift away from working for young people, to working in partnership with young people to ensure youth-friendly approaches and action.

15/10/2019

While there are many separate indicators related to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and HIV, a key challenge has been the lack of internationally agreed indicators to measure progress in linking SRH and HIV.

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