My Age Zimbabwe hosted the Quarterly CSE Advocacy Reflection and Action Meeting, which served as a platform for member organizations within the Youth Education on Sexuality (YES) movement. The meeting was dedicated to fostering collaboration, facilitating knowledge sharing, and formulating unified strategies to bolster youth-led advocacy for Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH).
Discussions centered around critical themes, including co-creation with young people, the integrated approach of CSE and SRH, the imperative of quality training and funding, and the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in CSE delivery. Furthermore, participants explored the intersection of climate change and SRHR, as well as the crucial role of community-led development in program design and monitoring.
A significant portion of the work was dedicated to reviewing current advocacy strategies, analyzing their effectiveness, and identifying areas for improvement. Organizations shared insights on utilizing reports and training manuals to inform their activities and discussed the frequency and impact of capacity-building initiatives for champions and advocates.
Key recommendations emerged, emphasizing the need for dedicated training spaces for youth, clearly defined criteria for selecting youth leaders, robust follow-up mechanisms to keep young advocates engaged, and the facilitation of networking opportunities amongst young advocates. Three actionable points were identified: the creation and distribution of minimum SRH packages, the development of standardized training manuals, and the implementation of focused training sessions for champions and peer educators.
This meeting effectively highlighted the critical importance of collective action and knowledge exchange. By embracing the recommendations and action points, participating organizations will contribute to a more empowered and informed network of youth advocates, driving positive and sustainable change within their respective communities and beyond.
