OBJECTIVE OF YOUTH FOR CHANGE

Objectives of the Project:

The project has the following objectives:

• To understand youth perspectives and build rapport with youth in Uttar Pradesh

• To build understanding of SRHR issues among youth and other stakeholders

• To build platforms to advocate for comprehensive youth SRHR policy and services

UTTAR PRADESH SCENARIO ON YSRHR

Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR) is not an issue of cultural compatibility; according to the Convention to stay in school and marry later, are essential to meeting the Millennium gender on the Rights of the Child (CRC) children have the right to be protected from all forms of sexual abuse and exploitation, but at the same time they have the right to be provided opportunities for growth and development according to their evolving capacities, and this includes emotional and sexual growth and development as well.

The youth of Uttar Pradesh need access to comprehensive information on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights because of the following reasons:
In comparison to previous generations, the onset of puberty occurs at an earlier age for adolescent girls. The lack of knowledge to care for their bodies during menstruation can result in negative reproductive health consequences. It was found that a large proportion of girls were not aware of menstruation when they first experienced it. Most information was imparted to them in the form of restrictions on her behavior and movements. In majority of the cases the young females of Uttar Pradesh were using old cloth during menstruation and in the subsequent periods they were reusing the old cloth. The prevalence of Reproductive Tracts Infections was more than 3 times higher among girls having unsafe menstrual practices.

The custom of early marriage among adolescent girls is common in Uttar Pradesh, exposing girls to sexual intercourse during their adolescent years. Therefore many girls become pregnant even before reaching the age of 19. Complications of pregnancy such as anemia, low birth rate, spontaneous abortions and eclampsia are significantly higher among adolescent mothers, as is the risk of dying from pregnancy. Research studies have shown that 1 in 5 adolescents give birth by the age 17.2 and that 14.3% of women aged between 15-19 are already mothers or pregnant. As adolescent women are not physically fully developed, pregnancy and motherhood exposes them to acute health risks during pregnancy and childbirth.

There is an increasing rate of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Tract Infections due to unprotected intercourse amongst adolescents. In the state of Uttar Pradesh only 8.7 percent of married women aged 19-49, reported the use of condoms. Estimated number of HIV infected people in India is about 5.1 million and of this over 50% of the newly infected population belongs to the 15-24 year old period. Only 74% of men and 40% of the women in UP have heard of the disease AIDS.
There is an unacceptable prevalence of violent and coercive sexual behavior against adolescents. Child abuse and neglect have known detrimental effects on the physical, mental, psychological, cognitive and behavioral development of children. Over a third of all rape victims belong to the age group below 16 years. Clinical conditions associated with abuse and neglect includes depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and conduct disorders. Child mistreatment also leads to long term societal consequences like low academic performance, drug use, teen pregnancy and adult criminality.

Youth lack the knowledge and resources to plan pregnancies. Adolescents constitute a large percentage of the abortion seeking population. Findings show that adolescents have a low decision making authority as compared to their elders regarding abortion and are thus forced into abortion or face opposition from their families and consequently are more likely to report post-abortion morbidity. UP’s youth(15-24yrs) constitute over one third of the state’s population. So in order to bring about stability in population growth the youth of UP must be made aware of conception and contraception methods. Among married women in UP aged between 15-29, 43.6% reported to have used any method of contraception. At least one half of unmarried women seeking abortions at facilities are adolescents, many of whom are below 15 years of age.

GLOBAL SCENERIO ON YSRHR

The youth population of the world (from the ages of 15 to 29) is estimated at about 2 billion people. Thus the advocacy and protection of their rights is of great importance for the future of the world. Their sexual and reproductive rights is of as much importance as is their other rights.

There are several organizations all over the world that advocate the sexual and reproductive rights for the youth. The World Health Organization even advocates the right of all individuals to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health irrespective of their age. The youth have the right to legal or safe abortion, the right to control their reproductive functions, the right to access quality reproductive healthcare and the right to education and access in order to make reproductive choices free from coercion, discrimination and violence.

There are other important organizations that advocate the sexual rights of the youth like the Canadian Youth for Choice Federation, basic rights Oregon, International Union of Socialist Youth, Junior Chamber International, National Youth Rights Association, etc. These organizations play a vital role in making the youth aware of their sexual rights and in promoting sex education. They also raise their voice against and actively counter elements in society that against the ethics of science ignore numerous studies and comment that same sex marriages should not be allowed or that the number and genders of the parents are of primary importance for a child’s welfare and development. What these organizations want to do basically is to conduct adequate study in the field of children’s sexual rights and to make them aware of their sexual and reproductive rights by encouraging sex education which is often regarded to be taboo in society.

• Presently same sex marriages are available only to the residents of Netherlands, Spain, Canada.
• The state of Vermont allows gays and lesbians to enter into civil unions.
• Several provinces in Canada allow gay and lesbian couples to receive all the rights, privileges and obligations that the state gives to married couples.
• The Gallup Organization conducted a study in March 1996 which showed that 68% of American adults opposed gay marriages and 27%were in favour of gay marriages.
• The Women In Technology International conducted a poll within it’s organization itself which showed that 80% of them were in favour of same sex marriages and 18% were against it.
• A Newsweek magazine survey of 1998 showed that young adults(18-29yrs) were “significantly more accepting of gay marriages” than people above the ages of 30.
• A 2002 poll conducted by KRC Communications Research for Globe/WBZ showed that within the age group of 18-39 yrs 62% were in favor of same sex marriages, 33% were not in favour and 5% had no opinions regarding the same.
• A 2003 New Jersey poll indicated that among 18-29 year olds 71% were in favour of same sex marriages.
• The 2006 Boston Globe poll showed that 39% of subjects between 18 and 34 opposed same sex marriages as compared to 46% between the ages of 35 to 49 and 51% between 50 to 64.
  
  All these surveys and polls give a clear indication that majority of the youth of the world support same sex marriages and thus their sexual rights are of utmost importance.
  
  Though the global scenario on the reproductive and sexual rights of the youth is still a very narrow area of thought, the development in this field and the rising awareness of the youth with respect to the same is broadening its circumference of the aforementioned rights.

PRINCIPLE OF YOUTH FOR CHANGE

Youth Participation - This program is completely focused on youth participation, SAHAYOG is following Roger Hart's ladder. For youth participation in its Y4C programme you can visit www.freechild.org/ladder.htm.
Ladder of Participation
About the Ladder:
Sociologist Roger Hart wrote a book called Children's Participation: The Theory And Practice Of Involving Young Citizens In Community Development And Environmental Care for UNICEF in 1997. This groundbreaking work put the work of young people and adult allies around the world in the context of a global movement for participation, offering needed guidance and criticism of many efforts. The "Ladder of Children's Participation," also called the "Ladder of Youth Participation," is one of many significant tools from the book.
It has been noticed that youth are always being used as a decorative component in most families in rural India where their rights and decision making powers have not been recognized. In spite of various programmes and policies being formulated by the government the youth's decisions are rarely ever accepted and appreciated by the adults as there is a belief that the youth is not mature enough to make decisions regarding their well being. Therefore Y4C is a unique programme aimed at not only the development of the youth, but also to allow them to play a vital role in the implementation of the programme and to enable greater participation of the youth in the programme. Their decision making powers are recognized and is encouraged not only for the implementation of the programme but also for other matters relating to their life.
Youth Diversity - Youth in Uttar Pradesh (Most populated state of India) are very diverse: a large number of these are rural youth; a large number of youth are poor and some will be migrating out; significant numbers are the specially disadvantaged Dalits and Muslims; a large number of young women are non-literate and a vast percentage of young women will be married or mothers before the age of 18 years.This program looks to facilitate the involvement and participation of all the above diverse youth especially between the ages of 13-24.

Stakeholder support - Stakeholders such as parents, teacher, health service providers, political representatives, media and other related departments are also part of this program implementation. As the decision making abilities of the youth is not recognized by the above stakeholders owing to different social, economic, cultural, political, regional and religious factors Y4C seeks to make them aware of the vital role that they are capable of playing in order to enable the youth to realize their sexual and reproductive rights and their decision making powers. Y4C looks to bring all these stakeholders together to support the youth of the country and to provide encouragement for the realization of the above goals.