19^th International Dialogue

At a virtual two-day conference, experts from around the world discussed challenges and opportunities in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights for – and together with – young people

Every statistic has a face: A 15-year-old girl in Kenya falls pregnant and has no one to turn to but wants to continue her education. A young homosexual man in Uganda fears for his safety because in his home country homosexuality is against the law. Young people like these – and what it takes to ensure their sexual and reproductive health and rights – were at the heart of this year’s 19^th International Dialogue on Population and Sustainable Development which took place on November 17 and 18, 2021.

In her welcoming remarks, Dr Maria Flachsbarth, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), called for a holistic and multisectoral approach: Actors in the health, education and employment sectors should join forces to reach young people in their diverse living contexts and enable them to realise their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

The two-day virtual conference offered numerous opportunities for exchange. Experts from around the globe took part in passionate debates on, for example, the prevention of intimate partner violence, meaningful youth participation in realising SRHR, cooperation with religious actors, and young people’s access to rights-based family planning.

Read more in the Conference Magazine