World YWCA Welcomes Outcome Document on Youth
The World YWCA welcomes the Outcome Document of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding, adopted on June 13, 2011, in New York. The commitments made echo and affirm the issues that the YWCA movement has for years been advocating, including the leadership of girls and young women, thus giving them the opportunity to have a voice on issues that affect their lives.
In response to the needs and realities of young people today, the recent International Women’s Summit (IWS) convened in Zurich, Switzerland, by the World YWCA as part of its quadrennial World Council, stressed the importance of addressing violence against young women and girls and providing access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), as well as investing in their economic empowerment and rights. Attributing the Mary Robinson Award for Young Women’s Leadership in Human Rights at World YWCA Council 2011 was a practical way of affirming such intergenerational leadership by highlighting the innovative actions of young people in communities, which in turn could be further developed and replicated.
We call once again on the UN agencies with their joint statements to strengthen their collaboration and partnership with youth organisations, such as the World YWCA, in creating safe spaces and offering empowering opportunities of leadership. The commitment shown by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director, Babatunde Osotimehin, and UN Women Executive Director, Michelle Bachelet, by taking the time to interact with young women from communities is a best practice to be emulated as it remains crucial for girls and young women to be acknowledged and listened to.
The World YWCA remains a strong advocate of intergenerational leadership, advancing the empowerment and rights of women and girls. We collaborated with International Coordination Meeting of Young People (ICMYO) and Alliance of Youth CEOs in ensuring that the voices of young people, and especially young women, were heard in this High-level Meeting.
It is thanks to our partners, including the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, World Service Council and EED, that the World YWCA is able to translate these global commitments into practical opportunities for young women to take leadership on issues affecting their lives at both the community and the global level.
