Youth Voices for Reproductive Health & Rights in Nepal

Based in Nepal, YUWA is a youth-led organization focused on empowering young individuals to advocate for change in their community. Sajja and Riju’s talk will highlight YUWA’s SRHR programs and touch on the organization’s goals for the future.

About the Speakers

Sajja Singh, Member & Former Vice President of YUWA

Sajja Singh is a youth activist, working for young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Nepal. She previously served as Vice President at YUWA. She holds a strong advocacy background at the national and regional levels where she has advocated for young people’s SRHR. Sajja has represented young people at the Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), Asia Pacific Population Conference (APPC), and Nairobi Summit ICPD+25. She is a public health graduate and is passionate about writing.

Riju Dhakal, President of YUWA

President of YUWA (2020-2022), Riju Dhakal is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Public Health from the Central Department of Public Health, Institute of Medicine, Nepal. She has been an SRHR activist for the past two years and has been involved in national-level advocacy processes and evidence generation under YUWA. She is passionate about poetry, and in her free time, she enjoys traveling.

Q+A

How much emotional and social support do you get from the elders who participate with you?
YUWA’s alumni, co-founders, members are very supportive of one another. They provide emotional and social strength. We also have elders from different organizations and sectors who we collaborate with and are very supportive as well. They are also very appreciative of the work we do. But with regards to emotional support, it’s the YUWA’s team who provide it.

What other community organizations in Nepal do you partner with?
We have provincial partners in all seven districts of Nepal with whom we collaborate very closely. They also are the youth-led community organizations. We collaborate with organizations that work for women’s health and rights, LGBTIQ+ organizations, youth-led organizations, and youth-serving organizations.

What language(s) does YUWA use?
We use the Nepali language in YUWA. In our programs, for our internal verbal communication, we use the Nepali language. But for documentation, we use the English language.

How do you recruit new members for YUWA?
During two years of tenure, every executive board calls for membership two times. The membership call happens through YUWA’s social media. The first step is the Facemeet, where interested young people who fall between 16-29 years are invited to join. If anyone wants to become a member at YUWA, Facemeet is mandatory for them to join. It provides an opportunity for them to get oriented about what YUWA is. Then we open the applications where interested ones have to fill the form send it to YUWA online. Then shortlisted young people are invited for a group discussion round, after which they again get shortlisted for an interview and then selected, will become members of YUWA.