Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on Discrimination Against Women 

Theme: Gendered inequalities of poverty: feminist and human-rights based approaches 

Statement by CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality 

Thank you Madam President. This statement is made on behalf of CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality. 

A key area where poverty manifests its negative impacts on young people, is in their sexual and reproductive health and rights. It diminishes their ability to access comprehensive information and services related to SRHR. This lack of access has far-reaching implications, including menstrual poverty, increased risk of sexual and gender-based violence, teenage pregnancies and early and forced marriages. It is particularly alarming that young women and adolescents living with disabilities face even greater neglect when it comes to their SRHR needs, aggravating their marginalization. 

To address these pressing challenges, we must ensure the inclusion and active participation of all youth in policies, programs, and decision-making processes aimed at eradicating poverty. The voices and experiences of young people, especially those from marginalized communities, must be heard and prioritized. By empowering youth and engaging them as partners, we can ensure that our strategies and interventions are more effective, relevant, and inclusive. 

We were pleased to see mentions of reparations with regards to climate justice in the report, as climate change has a significant impact on young people's SRHR. Building off this, we would like to ask the Working Group if and how they plan to use a broader justice-based approach to tackle poverty? The eradication of poverty can only exist in a world where reproductive justice, racial justice and decolonisation are a priority to states and civil society.  

We thank you.