Sexual, Reproductive Health and Rights of Youth Crucial to Peace

Hauwa was 13 when she was abducted by Boko Haram and became a so-called “wife.” Six months later, she was pregnant. Raneem was 16 when she and her family fled Syria. Once in Lebanon, Raneem started receiving marriage proposals, despite her young age, as often occurs in situations of instability and insecurity.

Hauwa’s and Raneem’s stories are unfortunately all too common among millions of young people caught up in disaster and crisis today. Conflict and natural disasters disrupt lives, break down the social fabric, separate families, perpetuate insecurity, and decimate fragile health and education systems.

And because of entrenched gender inequalities, disasters and conflict can make a bad situation even worse for girls.  Adolescent girls and their families, struggling to survive, are left with few choices, making girls even more vulnerable to child marriage, sexual- and gender-based violence, and worse. They are faced with the cruel reality of heightened risks to their sexual and reproductive health and diminished access to critical health care, which is often already scarce.

An estimated 61 per cent of preventable maternal deaths take place in countries facing humanitarian crises or conditions of fragility. Some estimates show child marriage rates to be four times higher among Syrian refugees today than among Syrians before the crisis. Where states are fragile and poor, and where governments are struggling to stabilize areas of insecurity, tackling these challenges diverts the resources needed to prevent maternal death, gender-based violence, and other challenges facing people across the country.

The vulnerabilities that young people, and especially girls, face due to conflict or disaster must be addressed so that they can become adults safely and on their terms. Enabling young people to be healthy, educated and employable citizens within supportive societies is essential if we are to reduce the impact of conflict and disaster on their lives, and help their communities defeat  these destabilizing forces. Young people have proven that they can be extremely resourceful: their dynamism can help them become positive agents of change and more able to drive the reconstruction and development of their societies. Their engagement is key to implementing effective and sustainable policies that respond not just to their needs, but to their aspirations.

Hauwa and Raneem are prime examples of adolescent girls’ resilience and capacity to drive change, including in humanitarian settings. Hauwa is now receiving counselling and medical care, remaining brave and resourceful even in the face of adversity and struggle. Raneem and other girls like her are becoming youth leaders in our programmes, educating others about the harmful consequences of child marriage, how to combat gender-based violence, and where to access information and services.

As UNFPA, it is our utmost priority to support these girls, uphold their rights to sexual and reproductive health, and help build resilience in their families and communities.  From safe spaces, to sexual and reproductive health information and services, to youth leadership and participation, we and our partners are using innovative approaches to reach girls and boys affected by crisis at a critical time in their young lives.

Today’s generation of young people has come of age in an era of crisis, conflict and disaster. Yet, they are also the ones who have the potential to act as greater forces for positive social change. Hauwa and Raneem show that even under the harshest circumstances, they can change the narrative. For International Youth Day 2017, let us recognize that peace depends on the participation of young people and let us support them to build the foundation for a better, just and peaceful world.

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Dr. Natalia Kanem is a United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Acting Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.