UN ESCAP High-Level Intergovernmental Meeting to Review Regional
Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and its Regional and
Global Outcomes
Bangkok, Thailand, 7-10 September 2004

Young Women’s Statement

I am a young woman who will be speaking on the issues of young women.

The issues of young women are diverse and varied, yet there are commonalities that link our experience throughout the Asia Pacific region. We share many of the concerns of other women but, because of our age, face them differently. We are confronted by various barriers and are
affected by human rights violations including poverty; violence; lack of access to information and education; imbalances in economic power; negative portrayal in and exploitation by the media; situations of armed conflict and post conflict; limited access to decision-making processes;
lack of sustainability of environmental resources; and lack of access to health services, including sexual and reproductive health services. Additionally, young women face discrimination on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, refugee status, disability, age, race, education, language, ethnicity, religion, political ideology, socio-economic class, caste, marital status, HIV status, occupation, and physical appearance.

We also suffer from traditional customary practices which result in violence against women such as female genital cutting. Increased militarism, fundamentalism, terrorism and “anti-terrorism” has brought about an escalation in state and non-state violence against women. State sponsored violence has been protected with impunity laws.

We, the young people of Asia Pacific, advocate for and strongly reaffirm the principles enshrined in CEDAW, the ICPD Programme of Action, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and their plus five review Outcome Documents.

We urge governments to:

First, implement rights-based, gender-sensitive and inclusive programs and services in all educational environments;

Second, recognize that sexual and reproductive health and rights are young women’s rights and therefore promote capacity building and provide an enabling environment for young women to make informed choices and decisions on matters affecting our sexuality, health and lives; address
the reproductive health needs of young women through effective, affordable, accessible, women and youth-friendly reproductive health services, including the provision of information on prevention, treatment and counseling with regard to sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS; actively address the issue of unsafe abortion as well as making abortion accessible and safe. Provide access to emergency contraception; and upholding and protecting young women’s rights to choose if, when and who to marry, if and when to have children and how many, and the right to end marriage;

Third, critically review the impact of health sector reforms on women’s health and lives. As evidenced by a study in some countries, World Bank-, USAID- and ADB-promoted and financed health sector reforms have led to deterioration in primary and reproductive health services provision—example, user fees and private health insurance.

Fourth, recognize, respect and ensure mechanisms to support diverse forms of families and relationships including common-law and same sex marriages and partnerships and single-parent families;

Fifth, create and sustain networks and mechanisms to promote the meaningful participation and perspectives of young women at all levels of decision-making and specifically support youth-led initiatives so we can advance our rights;

And last, recognize and promote young women’s rights which are established in CEDAW, the ICPD Programme of Action and the Beijing Platform for Action, particularly of those of us from the marginalized and vulnerable groups.

Young women’s rights are human rights. We are full human beings and therefore deserve full recognition of our rights. We can not and should not wait to be accorded full recognition and respect of our human rights when we reach adulthood. Give them to us now.

The achievements of the Fourth World Conference on Women Platform for Action (BPfA), the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action (ICPD POA) and their plus 5 reviews have made positive gains toward women’s empowerment but much remains to be done.

We applaud, support and are one with governments who completely affirm and fully implement the Beijing Platform for Action, the ICPD Programme of Action and their +5 Review Outcome Documents.

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