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“We want Comprehensive Sexuality Education," young LGBTQ+ people in Asia and the Pacific have said. Youth Voices Count (YVC) coinciding with the opening of 9th Asia Pacific Conference of Sexual and Reproductive Health in Vietnam releases two videos featuring young LGBTQ+ people demanding comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). https://youtu.be/MlwrYSAT-mk https://youtu.be/MlwrYSAT-mk “Young LGBTQ+ are amongst the worst affected by the absence of CSE. They not only have to negotiate their own dilemmas about their own sexuality and gender identity but also have to face a society that vehemently despises their differences”, says Bella Vongvisitsin, Chair, Youth Voices Count. Young LGBTQ+ people around the world face numerous challenges including bullying, stigma, discrimination, physical and sexual abuses which leads to self-harming behaviors including suicide as a result of not having access to information and knowledge on gender, sexuality, gender expressions and sex characteristics and sexual and reproductive health. Bullying and harassments is also a result of lack of knowledge on these issues as young people are unaware of how to negotiate the concepts of gender, sexuality, gender expressions and sex characteristics with their peers. “Strategic and sustainable measure needs to be taken at the very local level to ensure that all young people have the right to access knowledge on SCE. It is about the right to highest attainable health, right to education and right to lead equal, equitable and fulfilling lives” says Niluka Perera, Regional Coordinator of Youth Voices Count. The videos developed in Sri Lanka and the Philippines features the plight of young people in general and young LGBTQ+ people in particular in the absence of CSE. The videos also feature decision makers calling the governments and policy makers to integrate age appropriate CSE to school curricula to ensure sustainable provision of CSE to young people. The videos are supported through the Youth PACT by HIV Young Leaders Fund and the International Planned Parenthood Federation. The videos are developed by young LGBTQ+ people ensuring the ownership of the advocacy.  Image taken from creative commons. Today the 25th of November marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This day also marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. This year the theme is ‘Leave no one behind’.
According to the UN Secretary General’s report on progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals violence against women is the most extreme form of discrimination. On the basis of data from 2005 to 2016 for 87 countries, 19 per cent of women between 15 and 49 years of age said they had experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the 12 months prior to the survey. In the most extreme cases, such violence can lead to death. In 2012, almost half of all women who were victims of intentional homicide worldwide were killed by an intimate partner or family member, compared to 6 per cent of male victims. While other cases of extreme violence such as female genital mutilation/cutting have declined. This by 24 per cent since around 2000, the prevalence remains high in some of the 30 countries with representative data. In his message UN Secretary-General António Guterres said every woman and every girl has the right to a life free of violence. “Yet this rupture of human rights occurs in a variety of ways in every community, particularly affecting those who are most marginalized and vulnerable. Around the world, more than 1 in 3 women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lives; 750 million women were married before age 18, and more than 250 million have undergone Female Genital Mutilation,” he said. Sadly only just over half of women between the ages of 15 and 49 who are married or in a relationship make their own decisions about consensual sexual relations and use of contraceptives and health services. That statistic is based on available data from around 2012 for 45 countries, 43 of which are in developing regions. The UN posits that achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will require more vigorous efforts, including legal frameworks, to counter deeply rooted gender-based discrimination that often results from patriarchal attitudes and related social norms. According to Secretary Guterres it’s time for united action from all of us, so that women and girls around the world can live free from harassment, harmful practices, and all other forms of violence.  The PACT is inviting young people aged 16 to 30 to send any one of the following:
(a) An essay, opinion piece or news item on any of these themes:
(b) A video interview with a gender based violence or sexual and reproductive health champion in your community or video on anti-GBV activities (you can use your smartphone! 5 minutes maximum) (c) Pictures on how your community will be marking the 16 days of activism against gender based violence or any events related to sexual and reproductive health. (d) A picture of your local leaders and their two sentence message on the 16 days of activism against gender based violence. For more information and submissions email contactyouthpact@gmail.com Content should NOT have been published elsewhere. Selected written submissions can be paid UP TO US$50 while selected video submissions can get paid UP TO US$70. Deadline for submission of content and/or proposals is 30 November. Content received after this will NOT be considered.  Young people playing cards in Russia. Credit: Flickr/ Evgeniy Isaev Young people are at the center of HIV epidemics, and we cannot bend the curve of the epidemic without the prioritization and participation of young people as beneficiaries, partners and leaders in the HIV response. The Lancet Commission Report (2015) shows that HIV prevalence among young people and adolescents account for almost 39% of all new infections worldwide while AIDS-related deaths among adolescents increased by 50%. Find below a Joint Statement of youth-led and youth-serving organizations working with and for young people, particularly key populations and living with HIV and the advocacy report. 
The Adolescent HIV Treatment Coalition (ATC) invites you to join the global adolescent HIV movement!11/15/2017
The ATC, currently hosted within the International AIDS Society (IAS), is comprised of individuals and organizations working across the world to improve treatment access for adolescents and young people living with HIV. As we move towards ending AIDS by 2030 a collective agenda is needed in order to centre efforts to improve access to treatment for adolescents living with HIV.
By joining the coalition, you will join a platform of leaders from across the world working in research, service provision, treatment access, youth development and advocacy focused on calling attention to gaps and proposing solutions that improve the quality of life of adolescents living with HIV. The ATC platform enhances collaboration and activities among stakeholders within the HIV response in order to ensure coordinated efforts to end AIDS among adolescents living with HIV. How to join? The Adolescent HIV Treatment Coalition has two different membership opportunities. Core Membership These are individuals/organizations/institution/network with a demonstrated record of accomplishment of leadership in addressing adolescent HIV/AIDS issues. Core members commit to participating actively in coalition building and programmatic advocacy work. Criteria
All membership applications will be reviewed by the ATC Steering Committee. Applicants will be informed of the review outcome by December 2017. Please send any questions or comments to ATC Coordinator Carlo Oliveras. About the Adolescent HIV Treatment Coalition: The Adolescent HIV Treatment Coalition is a diverse community united in advocacy to make quality treatment and care available to all adolescents living with HIV. We are a collective voice promoting accountability in the HIV response that reflects the realities of adolescent lives. Our advocacy work centres around four streams of work:
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