Our Bodies, Our Rights - Coming together to share the experience
On Thursday, 22 July, one day before the end of the XVIII International AIDS Conference, participants of the Young Women’s Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), which was hosted by the World YWCA at the beginning of the Conference, gathered once again to share and to discuss. This time around the objective of the gathering was not to develop goals and key messages, but to debrief and to share their Conference experiences and also to evaluate how the key messages that were developed in the initial meeting were used during the Conference, and whether they were used at all.
The group of young women, who were eager and full of life and spirit from the start, still seemed to possess that same spirit and enthusiasm despite the long and hectic week they just completed. The group focused on what they considered were the highs and lows of the week. For most of the young women it was the first time they had been to an international conference and a conference on AIDS, therefore they discussed their general impressions, feelings and thoughts.
The key messages that were developed in the initial forum served mainly to provoke thought since often the privilege to share was not given. One young woman expressed that when the opportunity did arise, however, she used the platform to bring into focus the issues facing young women.
The overall feeling from participants was that the week motivated them to continue to advocate. A lot of knowledge and information was gained and new lines of thinking were developed. Old perceptions were questioned and challenged.
Some, however, felt that the youth could have have gotten more attention and that there should have been more sessions focusing on the links between SRHR and HIV within the main Conference. It was felt that sessions on SRHR were sidelined and key issues were not properly addressed. Others also felt that, though in some cases we did have the space, it was preaching to the converted since only young women and women were in the room. One young woman specifically referred to a particular session where only one gentleman attended, and when the moderator praised him for being so bold to come he indicated that he was there by mistake and then he proceeded to leave.
It was obvious from the reflections and feelings of the young women that there is still a lot to be done by women and young women’s organisations, as well as by the Conference Coordinating Committee, as we continue the HIV response work and prepare for Washington in 2012. As we go towards the future there were recommendations made by the group for youth focused plenary sessions: greater visibility of the Middle East and other forgotten regions, youth focused sessions with actual “youths” on the panel, and most importantly, quality spaces where youth can share and be listened to by those in leadership positions.
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