Supporting the Next Generation of Adolescent Girl Advocates: Women Deliver’s Emerging Leaders Program

By Christabel Netondo| Girls’ Globe | 18 July 2024 

In a world where opportunities for girls are often restricted, Women Deliver is stepping up to support the next generation of adolescent girl advocates through its recently launched Emerging Leaders for Change Program. Recognizing adolescence as a pivotal period where girls’ opportunities are frequently limited, the Emerging Leaders Program will sharpen our focus on improving the bodily autonomy of adolescent girls.

During adolescence, girls’ choices and life paths can be significantly constrained by external forces. Many find their futures shaped by events they have little control over. However, with the right tools and support given at different life stages, girls can lead the charge in driving positive change for themselves and their communities.

Like many adolescent girls and young women around the world, I struggled to have open conversations with my peers on some of my experiences when it came to reproductive health.

Often, I felt isolated since I had no access to trusted peers or adults with whom to have these vital discussions. Looking back today at that time in my life, I am now thrilled to be a part of the Emerging Leaders Program, which will provide a much-needed inclusive platform for young women to build positive relationships with their peers and a safe space to engage in conversations regarding their sexual and reproductive health. Co-created by young people, the Emerging Leaders Program will provide a meaningful mentorship structure, designed to ensure that participants experience all the benefits that the program has to offer.

Advocating for Adolescent Girls’ Health in East Africa

The inaugural cohort of the Emerging Leaders Program will support youth-led advocacy efforts in East Africa on priority areas like universal health coverage and climate justice in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. By kicking off the program in East Africa — which we selected for its significant youth population and challenges, particularly threats from anti-rights actors — the program will address the challenges faced by young people in the region.

Though there is significant work to be done to improve the health and wellbeing of adolescent girls, the East African region has seen some progress through the implementation of progressive policies. For example:

• In Tanzania, progress was made in November 2021 to push against a 2017 discriminatory policy that banned teenage mothers from re-entry to formal public-school systems. The 2021 Re-entry Policy and Guidelines gave an opportunity for young mothers to go back to school and progress towards their life aspirations.
• In Kenya, the first Menstrual Hygiene Management Policy, 2019 – 2030, was passed to ensure that myths, taboos, and stigma around menstruation are addressed by providing women, girls, men, and boys access to information on menstruation. Ultimately, adolescent girls, who are often affected by menstrual taboos and misconceptions, can have a sense of period pride, gain confidence to attend school, and actively participate in social activities that will fuel their ambitions.

Despite these efforts, the region still faces significant setbacks that put adolescent girls at risk.

For example, in Northern Ethiopia, women and girls in rural areas face major barriers that affect their access to basic reproductive health services and products during humanitarian urgencies. This increases the probability of transactional sex for sanitary products or contraception, which also increases their risk of sexually transmitted infections.

To address these ongoing challenges, the two-year Emerging Leaders Program will provide young advocates with funding, resources, training, and access to decision-makers, further enabling them to advance adolescent girls’ bodily autonomy and gender equality.

One key aspect that sets the program apart is its focus on amplifying traditionally ignored voices, namely the voices of young people, people living with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, by ensuring that they have access to decision-making spaces so that their needs, particularly those of adolescent girls, are heard. By centering their expertise and experiences, the program aims to shift power dynamics and ensure their leadership is recognized in global spaces.

But the program doesn’t stop there. It also provides flexible funding, coaching, and mentorship tailored to the needs of each Emerging Leader. This approach ensures inclusivity and diversity in advocacy efforts, targeting individuals in the early stages of their careers who are closest to their communities.

Looking Ahead – The 2024 Selection Process

In April 2024 Women Deliver sent out a call for applications for the Emerging Leaders Program. Though applications are now closed, we are proud to announce that we received over 3,100 applications. Moving forward, the applications will be reviewed by diverse committee comprised of the Women Deliver team, Young Leaders Program Alumni, and partner organizations who have a focus on adolescent health and wellbeing.  A compilation of activists, medical professionals, and civil society actors from East Africa, the selection committee brings together individuals with expertise in sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR), climate justice, maternal and newborn health, girls’ education, public health, and comprehensive sexuality education.

Though the selection process is ongoing, we at Women Deliver are excited to announce the East Africa cohort at end of this year. If you are interested in learning more about the Emerging Leaders for Change Program, visit our website and sign up for our newsletter to receive all the updates.

It is my hope that through the new Emerging Leaders Program, more and more young women will feel comfortable sharing their own experiences and creating spaces for information sharing with their peers. Nothing beats a solid, credible, and safe supportive network to work towards a world in which every girl and every woman can have control over their bodies and lives.