A glimpse of Pakistani Youth’s representation at biggest Family Planning Conference

By: OUR EDITOR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan was well-represented at the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) held in Pattaya, Thailand mid November 2022. Young community leaders Danish Tariq, Joshwa Dilawar, Laraib Abid, Saro Imran, Jayaa Jaggi, and Mohsin Baig from Pakistan outshined at the biggest gathering of family planning and rights advocates.

The Dayspring talked to these young leaders to get to know about their participation.

Laraib Abid

Laraib Abid from MASHAL was invited for ‘Women of Impact’ in the main planery Panel in International Conference on Family Planning 2022 to share her work under Mashal.

She was invited to share the stage with amazing leaders like Bjørg Sandkjær State Secretary,  Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway, with Natalie Glebova who is a Russian-Canadian television host, author, model and was crowned Miss Universe 2005. She speaks for Reproductive Health for women, with #ClaireManthosi Deputy Executive Director Advocacy to Care USA and  with MarieBa Executive Director Partenariat de Ouagadougou

She also presented her work through poster in the conference depicting the impacts of Mashal and Bridge The GAP mobile Application. Laraib Abid has been certified as a Trainer by Gates Institute and trained participants on Smart Advocacy sharing Bridge The GAP as a case study

Laraib co-facilitated a workshop on Prototyping society through arts for advocacy and behavioural change and a session on #FP2030 on inclusion and meaningful engagement of young people in #FamilyPlanning movements to mark out the challenges for diversity to make sure youth voices are heard and respected.

Laraib also facilitated a workshop titled Tell It Like It Is: Storytelling for Agency and Advocacy — an interactive workshop organized by Pathfinder International and ISYD Pakistan at the Youth Pre-conference of the International Conference on Family Planning.

Danish Tariq

Danish Tariq, from Chanan Development Association who is also Governing Board Member at Youth Advocacy Network Pakistan & FP2030 Pakistan Youth Focal Point, had important meetings with the stakeholders and international organizations to share the role of young people in Family Planning and how they are working in Pakistan to support the government to achieve FP2030. He met with Dr. Samukeliso Dube – Executive Director FP2030, Ms. Alexa Johns – Executive Director Asia Pacific Alliance on SRH, Ms. Anne Pfitzer – FP Director Momentum Country and Global Leadership Jhpiego, Dr. Alvaro Bermejo – Director General IPPF, Dr. Ghulam Shabbir – Country Director Ipas, and Mr. Martyn Smith – Director Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition.

Being the FP2030 Youth Focal Point from Pakistan, he was also part of the very important FP2030 Focal Points meeting where there were deliberations over the next upcoming important decisions for the countries and regional hubs. In addition, he also represented young people of Pakistan at numerous side events. Notables were FP2030 Country Commitments to Enhance Emergency Preparedness Response, Scaling up to CSE, Evidence Based Family Planning, Digitalization of FP Program Management etc.

Joshua Dilawar

Joshua Dilawar from the Institute for Social and Youth Development and National Coordinator of YPEER Pakistan, presented his project for deaf and hard-of-hearing youth during the poster session with the name “Meri Awaz” aiming to build the capacity of deaf and hard-of-hearing youth around gender, health rights, and youth-friendly health services. He is proud that he initiated the project for the very first time in Pakistan.

Joshua participated in different sessions as moderator and presenter. He organized a workshop on Prototyping society through arts for advocacy and behavioral change at the International Conference on Family Planning to share the power of Arts to bring positive and substantial change, particularly around reproductive health and family planning.

Facilitating a session under FP2030, Joshwa shed light on the inclusion and meaningful engagement of young people in Family Planning movements to mark out the challenges for diversity to make sure youth voices are heard and respected. The session had a representation of young voices from many countries around the world.

He also Organized a workshop; Tell It Like It Is: Storytelling for Agency and Advocacy — an interactive workshop with Pathfinder International and ISYD Pakistan at the Youth Pre-conference of the International Conference on Family Planning.

Joshua also participated in a panel discussion of 120 Under 40: The new generation of family planning leaders. Highlighting the project details, impacts, and way forward and the importance of Family Planning interventions at a global level.

He moderated a panel on AYSRH Global Roadmap for Action (GRA) having brilliant speakers from Albania, UK, Burundi and Sudan. The GRA is the first-ever Youth-Led global vision and priority document for Adolescents and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice (AYSRHR-J).

Saro Imran

Saro Imran – A transgender activist from Pakistan and Youth partner of FP2030 is among the winners of the Youth Trailblazer Award during the ICFP. The ICFP Youth Trailblazer Award aims to amplify and highlight the voices of young leaders in the family planning and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SHRH) field through active planning and participation in the 2022 ICFP.

The International Conference on Family Planning has convened the global development community around a shared vision of universal access to family planning since 2009. A network of advocates, researchers, and scientists, community and government leaders, health practitioners, economists, conveners, civil society members, and young people. ICFP has been joined by the belief that everyone deserves access to family planning services and products, no matter what.

Saro was the only transgender person from Pakistan who participated in this big conference and represented the transgender community in Pakistan and their Health issues especially those linked with Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.

Saro while talking to the Dayspring said that ICFP draws a line of action to achieve healthy lives for women and key populations around the globe. ICFP 2022 will be a strategic benchmark as the community prepares to recommit to a goal of universal access by 2030, she added.

Jayaa Jaggi

Jayaa Jaggi co-facilitated a workshop at ICFP youth Pre-conference on Prototyping society through arts for advocacy and behavioral change. Young leaders from different parts of the world joined the workshop and designed a work plan to use the arts as a tool for positive change in society.

She also displayed her work for hard-of-hearing individuals in Pakistan during the poster session with the name “Meri Awaz” aiming to build the capacity of deaf and mute youth around gender, health rights, and youth-friendly health services.

Besides this, she co-organized the 8 Billion Celebration of the world population “creating a world of infinite possibilities” with UNFPA Asia-Pacific and Y-PEER.

While speaking to The Dayspring Jayaa Jaggi said that she is committed to work more on advocating for young people around health rights and behavioral change.