Time for commitment is over, time for action now!
Angèle Biao Kolouchè, National President of the YWCA of Benin, represented the World YWCA at the Civil Society Experts Consultation on Maternal, Child and Infant Health and Sexual and Reproductive Health in Africa (CSO) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on April 17-18, 2010.
Angèle, who is the youngest President of a YWCA, did an excellent job representing young women. At the CSO Pre-Conference meeting on April, she showed a PowerPoint presentation on the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) of young women in Africa, which included the YWCA statement to the fourth African Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Conference, held in Addis Ababa in February 2010. She highlighted the importance of providing young women with a safe and secure space for discussing their SRHR needs and informing them accurately on HIV and AIDS, points which were included in the CSO outcomes document.
Angèle Biao also had the opportunity to chair sessions, and felt really empowered when participants, including members of parliament, agreed with her regarding the need to include more young women in the dialogue on SRHR.
Together with Melat Tekletsadik, National General Secretary for the YWCA of Ethiopia, Angèle then attended the AU Conference meeting on Maternal Infant and Child Health in Africa, held on April 19-21, 2010 in Addis Ababa. An important outcome of the conference was the implementation of the 2007 Maputo Plan on SRHR.
Although it was generally acknowledged that far more progress would have been made if States had met their previous commitments, the conference did result in a wide range of important recommendations to all African Governments and other relevant stakeholders including a focus on adolescents; prioritising family planning; decriminalising safe abortion; strengthening health systems; eradicating harmful traditional practices; combating violence against women and girls; involving the private sector and increasing financing.
The YWCAs of Benin and Ethiopia are among eight YWCA member associations in Africa funded by David and Lucile Packard Foundation, to build the capacity of young women to actively engage in regional advocacy process lobbying for the implementation of national commitment and budget allocations for SRHR and HIV and AIDS.
CSO was organised by Solidarity for African Women’s Rights Coalition, IPPF-Africa Region, Ipas Africa Alliance, Save the Children International, Abantu for Development, and the UN Millennium Campaign in collaboration with the AU Commission.
