Africa Youth Position Statement on Beijing +30 Review Consultation

Ladies and gentlemen,

Africa Youth Position Statement on Beijing +30 Review Consultation

We, representatives of adolescents and youth across the five sub-regions of Africa and the African adolescent and youth living in the diaspora, through various virtual and physical consultations leading up to the Africa Beijing +30 Review Consultation held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 30th to 31st October 2024 convened to review the progress of implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPFA).

Recognizing that nearly 30 years after the adoption of the BPFA, progress has been made toward realizing gender equality and the rights of adolescents and youth in Africa. Notably, legal reforms such as the Maputo Protocol adopted in 2003, now ratified by 42 countries, and the inclusion of gender equality in most national constitutions of AU Member States. Additionally, there has been an increase in gender-responsive laws that reaffirm the commitment of Member States to protect adolescent and youth particularly girls and young women. However, enforcement remains a significant challenge.

Concerned that these legislative reforms have not fundamentally altered gender power dynamics, young women and girls in all their diversity and intersectional identities including young women and girls with disabilities, young women and girls living in conflict areas and other vulnerable situations continue to face profound inequalities. Yet, the rest of society continue to enjoy patriarchal privileges leaving young women and girls to bear the burden of an unequal society.

Despite numerous commitments by African Governments, multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination against young women and girls in all their diversity and intersectional identities persist. Deep-rooted negative social norms, cultural expectations, and religious practices often override national laws.

The 30-year review of the BPFA is being conducted amidst challenges such as eroding Pan-Africanism, dependence on foreign aid, illicit financial flows, unemployment, poor land governance, unplanned urbanization, xenophobia, misogyny and misogynoir, child marriage, Female Genital

Mutilation, terrorism, homophobia, human and sex trafficking, extremism, migration crises, militarization, shrinking civic space, financialization of social services, conflicts, technology-facilitated gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy, femicides, HIV/AIDs pandemic, effects of COVID-19 pandemic and climate change-induced disasters, all posing serious threats to Africa's adolescent and youth.

We acknowledge the inclusion of 10 African young women in the Expert Group and Ministerial meetings on the Beijing +30 review process. However, we are disappointed in the inadequate meaningful engagements of African adolescents and youth at the national reporting process on the Beijing Platform for Action +30 (BPFA +30).

We therefore DEMAND the following as our PRIORITY ACTIONS for the protection, respect, promotion, fulfillment, and realization of the human rights of African adolescent and youth.

1. Emerging Areas for Prioritization

AU Member States should:

• Violence against Women and Girls: Addressing violence against women and girls as a pandemic and implement preventive measures through enactment, operationalization, review and strengthening of existing laws and policies for effective implementation whilst addressing the harmful norms and normalization surrounding Violence Against Women and Girls. Enact and implement policies to combat tech facilitated gender-based violence and cyberbullying, provide education on online safety, and increase representation of girls and young women representation in the media to advocate for digital rights.
• Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights: We demand Member States to recognize the right to sexual and reproductive With the rising rates of teenage pregnancies and new HIV cases among African adolescent and youth, we demand for the re-introduction of comprehensive protection, prevention, and sex education programs in formal and informal education across the continent. Additionally, we urge governments to officially declare teenage pregnancies and adolescent HIV cases as national crises. Furthermore, we demand

that Member States adequately allocate financial resources and ensure timely release to address these urgent issues.

• Mental health: Prioritize access to affordable, quality mental health services for African adolescent and youth. Invest to increase mental health facilities and rehabilitations centers and psychosocial support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
• Climate: Meaningful engagement and systemic inclusion of African adolescent and youth in climate adaptation and environmental policies, promote gender-responsive climate education, and support those affected by climate-induced events. We demand increased budgetary funding for climate-related disasters and emergencies.
• Peace and Security: We demand immediate cease fire in all Member States affected by conflict, genocide and war. We demand meaningful, inclusive engagement and protection of African adolescents and youth especially girls and young women in all their diversity in all peace efforts at all levels of decision-making.
• Digital Economy: Close the gender digital divide in the African Continent, ensuring continental internet coverage and constant power supply. Leverage the power and expertise of youth especially young women and girls in the digital economy by developing, and implementing gender transformative policies, providing public tech infrastructure especially in rural areas to provide an enabling environment for adolescent and youth.
• Gender Transformative Financing: Mainstream gender transformative budgeting and financing in all This includes prioritizing access for women and girls to flexible dedicated funds, training, and technological infrastructure.
• Debt: Address debt conditionalities rooted in racism that prioritize repayment over funding issues affecting adolescents and youth. Reforming the sovereign debt architecture to alleviate financial pressures on African nations. Form debtor coalitions and consider debt repudiation to provide a strong policy position to renegotiate Africa's sovereign debt terms, so that resources can be redirected towards education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation

• Bridge the funding gap and divide for youth and girl-led feminist organizations, we call on member states to provide, flexible multi- year funding especially to grassroots movements and local initiatives, reaffirming their critical role in advocating for the rights of youth and adolescents and gender-diverse youth, through the provision of multiyear, core, flexible, accessible and sustainable funding, especially to support initiatives that address poverty and economic empowerment policies and programs, promoting gender
• Rethink the engagement of men and boys as accountable allies to ensure their involvement does not divert resources, reinforce patriarchal structures, or perpetuate unequal power relations. Promote male allyship that supports and amplifies the rights and voices of girls and young women without overshadowing them.

2. Strategies and Mechanisms for Accountability

AU Member States should:

• Create comprehensive gender responsive youth and adolescent centered data that capture diverse identities to accurately track gender equality policy impacts and encourage data sharing within the AU countries.
• Implement transparent frameworks requiring active engagement with grassroots organizations and community-led monitoring.
• Conduct awareness campaigns, leverage social media and pop culture for transparency and accountability, and produce accessible, multilingual resources to inform communities of their rights.
• Systemically integrate and meaningfully engage adolescent and youth in an intergenerational leadership module in BPFA reporting and policy frameworks, amplifying youth and adolescent voices in governance and accountability while promoting youth leadership by establishing consultative bodies for decision-making inclusion and addressing digital inequities.
• Promote partnerships with CSOs and adolescent and youth led movements to maintain transparent, inclusive dialogue, providing advocacy support and capacity-building resources.

• Develop systems with quantitative and qualitative indicators, disaggregated by gender, age, and identity, to track BPFA progress.
• Encourage multi-stakeholder collaboration among governments, private sectors, and adolescent and youth led networks to address transnational issues.

3. Intersectionality

AU Member States should:

• Implement policies requiring fair representation of women and girls in media, provide gender responsive training for media professionals, and promoting visibility of women and girls in leadership and creative
• Prioritize youth and adolescent representation in peacebuilding, climate resilience, and SRHR policymaking, ensuring inclusion of underrepresented and marginalized groups.
• Establish gender responsive policies ensuring youth and adolescent involvement in substantive environmental decision-making and supporting adolescent and young women-led climate initiatives.
• Prioritize legislative measures to protect girls' rights, ensure funding for safe spaces, and accelerate engagement and community mobilization to shift cultural attitudes.
• Establish regulatory media boards to strengthen the fight against harassment, as well as criminalize sexualization and objectification of adolescents and youth as well as support positive portrayals of girls and young women.
• Design targeted support for displaced women, including mental health services, economic stability programs, and social reintegration
• Provide accessibility. Flexible and gender responsive microfinance, entrepreneurial training, and startup resources, particularly for marginalized young women living in rural areas.
• Fund initiatives to eliminate barriers to accessing education for girls, provide mentorship to build leadership skills, and equip young women and girls with digital and STEM skills.

• Integrate accessible mental health services into national healthcare systems, addressing diverse needs across
• Establish formal platforms to include adolescent and young people especially young women, in substantive decision-making on laws and policies affecting their rights.
• Support multi-stakeholders' partnerships among youth and adolescent led organizations to collaboratively address intersectional

Institutional Mechanisms for the Advancement of Young Women

To meaningfully advance young women’s leadership and influence, it is essential to create structures that actively include and empower youth at all levels. Two key steps are proposed:

• Youth Commissioners at the African Union (AU): Establishing two Youth Commissioner positions within the AU will ensure that young people, especially young women, have dedicated representation and a voice in decision-making processes across the continent.
• Youth-Friendly Access to UN Activities: We demand the inclusion of young people in the national delegations and the introduction of a dedicated ECOSOC accreditation pathway specifically designed for young people, their organizations, and businesses.

Africa Youth Priorities for Beijing +30

• Enact policies ensuring accessible, affordable credit for women- owned businesses, enforce equal pay, and build social safety nets for women in informal sectors to achieve economic independence.
• Provide targeted funding for gender-sensitive curricula, STEM programs, SRHR education, and robust protections against gender- based violence in educational settings.
• Prioritize maternal healthcare infrastructure, fund women's mental health services, and initiate disease prevention and SRHR programs accessible to all women and girls.

• Eliminate discriminatory practices in land ownership and inheritance to empower women economically.
• Address educational barriers by making schooling affordable, reducing dropout rates, and promoting girls' participation in STEM through scholarships and infrastructure improvements.
• Integrate SRHR priorities into national health agendas, restore accessible health insurance programs, and invest in SRHR education and sustainable contraceptive access for youth.
• Criminalize femicide, enforce strict laws against sexual abuse, shift harmful cultural attitudes through awareness, and create accessible mental health services for
• Involve men and boys in anti-GBV initiatives to shift cultural norms and establish rapid-response systems for GBV victims.
• Enforce anti-cyberbullying laws, enhance data privacy protections, and educate women on digital rights and safety.
• Integrate gender-sensitive climate policies, facilitate safe migration for climate-displaced women, and support climate resilience programs led by women and youth.
• Increase women's representation in media to address stereotypes and elevate women's issues.
• Strengthen youth involvement in governance through youth parliaments, task forces, and platforms for policy advocacy and decision-making.
• Advocate for comprehensive legal reforms to end GBV, early marriage, and discrimination, and establish accountability frameworks to monitor gender equality.
• Reinforce anti-corruption initiatives ensuring equal access to resources and services across all sectors.

Conclusion

We reaffirm that African adolescent and youth are not adversaries of the state. African governments must recognize and embrace the significant role of adolescent and youth rights in promoting inclusive and sustainable development. Nearly 30 years after Beijing, African youth in their diverse identities should not merely be guests but should have a seat at the decision-making table as equal partners.

We call on African Union member states to adopt, engage in meaningful discussions, and recommit to advancing youth rights as outlined in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action during the upcoming 35th and 36th Ordinary Sessions of the African Union Summits.

2020 is a DECADE OF ACTION! African Union Member States must honor, finance, and remain accountable to the progressive commitments made for the human rights of young people!