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October 2007 Advocacy in Practice: 4th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights (APCRSH)
Hyderabad, India
The APCRSH offered the opportunity to bring together a group of fourteen young women from the Asia Pacific region with diverse backgrounds and a desire to discuss and elevate their voices on sexual and reproductive rights and health. From October 24-27, 2007, IWHC facilitated a discussion and training with the young activists, all between the ages of 18 and 24, prior to the APCRSH.
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| Participants engaging in a group exercise |
Participants spent three intensive days learning about international policy agreements and techniques for advocacy at the United Nations and other policy forums. They also explored the particular issues around sexual and reproductive health and rights that were relevant to the APCRSH. For example, each young woman presented to the group on issues including abstinence, safe abortion, HIV/AIDS, and domestic violence.
The participants were then given the opportunity to practice their advocacy skills at the APCRSH, where they attended meetings with country delegations and were mentored by IWHC staff. The fourteen young women utilized the techniques they had learned and provided valuable input to the outcome documents.
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Participants at the APCRSH in India
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They also wrote and issued a press release protesting the ban against sex education that was recently imposed by 12 Indian State governments despite the central government's recommendation of the sex education curriculum. The press release defends the sex education curriculum, arguing that the ban "violates (youth's) right to information, right to education, (and) right to health under the Indian Constitution and breaches India's international commitments under UN treaties and declarations. Young people need comprehensive sexuality education so that they are empowered to make informed decisions relating to their bodies without fear, shame or guilt."
On October 30, a photograph of four AiP participants appeared in The Hindu. Also, several of the participants were quoted in news stories, including in The Hindu and The Tribune (India).
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