From 15 July to 17 July 2014, UNFPA conducted a training workshop with 11 Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) Members as well as two youth leaders belonging to the African Youth and Adolescents Network (AfriYAN).
The YAP was established in 2013 and it demonstrates UNFPA's commitment to young people's empowerment and rights, including the rights to participate in decision that affect their lives and express their views and options. The AfriYAN's main mission is the work through its members to create an enabling environment for the promotion of an effective participation of adolescent and youth in the fight against HIV/AIDS, poverty, unemployment, gender related inequalities and inequities and for the promotion of sexual and reproductive health rights.
The training workshop focused on an overview of young people inclusion's in the discussion on improving sexual and reproductive health services within the country, challenges such as teenage pregnancy, HIV prevalence rates among young people, condom acceptability, lack of disaggregated data for the youth and adolescent category and how YAP members can strengthen their advocacy efforts around these issues. In addition, tied to the recently launched UNFPA global social media campaign and creation of the UNFPA South Africa facebook page, a social media training by AfriYAN participants was provided to the YAP members in order to build expertise on the use of communications technologies including the use of social media (facebook, twitter and blogs).
The training workshop increased the understanding of the YAP members on adolescent and youth development and strengthened the inclusion of young people's views in the planning and programming in UNFPA's activities. It made them fell they belong!
For more picture, check the photogallery!
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