Youth face many obstacles when it comes to accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services and information. Without accurate information, resources and safe spaces to ask questions, myths and misconceptions grow and make it hard for youth to make informed choices about their health.   In this episode, Youth Champions Madeline and Shannon sit down with Rae, the inspiring young founder and Executive Director of a youth-led organization in Toronto called SRHR Hubs. Like the SHE SOARS* project, SRHR Hubs supports young people’s access to SRHR information and supplies. Rae ..read more

Myths and misconceptions around Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) often stand in the way of youth accessing accurate information and services. Youth around the world are leading efforts to bust myths and advocate for young people’s health and rights. In this episode, Youth Champions, Madeline and Nour speak with Musonda, an inspiring program manager at the Alliance for Accountability Advocates Zambia (AAAZ), a youth-led organization that is leading advocacy efforts in Zambia through the SHE SOARS* project. Musonda shares some common misconceptions around SRHR and what young peop ..read more

Women and girls’ voices need to be heard in the healthcare system and conversations about their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). Too often, many of us are left to navigate our bodily concerns on our own or face stigma. In this episode, Amal, Lauren and guest Amanda continue to share SRHR stories from women and girls around the world. They discuss young people’s SRHR experiences in the medical system, self-advocacy, and stigma surrounding sexual health and encounters. They share personal stories about their own health and rights and discuss strategies to make the SRHR space mor ..read more

Talking about Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) can feel uncomfortable and awkward for many people. Many of us have experiences that can be scary, embarrassing, confusing or even funny. In this episode, Youth Champions Amal and Lauren are joined by Amanda, a SHE SOARS* Youth Advisory Board member in Uganda, to share stories they received from women and girls around the world about their first periods and the fear, confusion and stigma they faced. They discuss their personal experiences and insight on the stories, and how we can work towards normalizing conversations about menstr ..read more

Men and boys are key players in shifting harmful gender norms around the world and addressing gender-based violence. In this episode, Youth Champion, Mishika, speaks with Josephine and Charles, who are leading this work in Uganda through the SHE SOARS* project. As a male role model, Charles encourages men and boys to learn more about themselves, reflect on their roles and attitudes in family life, and shift social norms towards greater equality. As a Gender Coordinator, Josephine helps develop the curriculum for the boys’ groups and engages communities in the project. They share their experien ..read more

Meet Giulia, a youth climate advocate and project officer at the world’s largest alliance for women and young people’s health and wellbeing, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH). Giulia shares how she became involved in global climate justice and some of the challenges that youth commonly face when doing advocacy work. She also explains the surprising impacts of climate change on women and children’s Sexual and Reproductive Health globally. Together with the Youth Champions, Amal and Lauren, Giulia explores several pathways for youth to become involved in global hea ..read more

In honour of World Environment Day, the Youth Champions dive into this pressing issue and what we can do about it. Meet Rebecca, CARE Canada’s Chief of Party for the SHE SOARS* project, who shares how climate change impacts sexual health and rights. Rebecca explains how environmental changes like temperature, flooding and food insecurity, and their link to gender and social norms, negatively affect women and girls’ health and access to services in the countries we work in. The group discusses examples of the changing climate in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia, and the less-talked about consequences f ..read more

Boys around the world are often raised to believe in gender norms and stereotypes that can be harmful, including expectations about how men and women are supposed to act with each other, how they should express (or not express) emotions, and how to resolve problems. Sometimes, this can lead to negative beliefs about women and girls and even violence towards them.  In this episode, Youth Champion, Lauren, discusses the importance of engaging men and boys to move gender equality forward with two inspiring leaders in this space, Karen and Rodrigo, who helped develop and facilitate the Mindfu ..read more

Meet Maryner, an inspiring youth leader in Chadiza, Zambia who speaks up for young people’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). In this unique episode, the Youth Champions are joined by Jeremiah, a member of the Youth Advisory Board, who sat down with Maryner and learned about her work as a youth researcher and girls’ group facilitator. Through a series of clips, we hear from Maryner on the privacy barriers that youth experience when accessing SRHR and how she overcame pushback as an advocate for young people’s health and rights. Maryner shares her passionate message on youth lea ..read more

International Day of the Girl honours girls’ rights and experiences around the world and celebrates the power of girls everywhere to change the world. In this episode, Madeline and Amal, two of the Youth Champions, are joined by Gloria, an inspiring youth advocate from Kenya, to talk about women’s leadership in the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) space. Learn about Gloria’s journey advocating for girls’ health and their rights in Kenya, and how she founded a community-based organization to reach girls with SHR information and services. The group discusses what it’s like to speak up as a y ..read more