CULTURAL AND SOCIAL BARRIERS LIMITATIONS IN ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION LIMITATIONS IN ACCESSING SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUTH International Comparisons Know the Facts What is UNFPA Doing?
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ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUTH
In Sri Lanka, over time youth have continued to be placed significant importance. This is partly because of the widespread involvement of young people in the two violent insurrections that racked the country in the early 1970s and late 1980s. Subsequently, efforts have been directed at trying to explain what caused such an extreme reaction by young people. It has been increasingly acknowledged that elements related to poverty, unemployment and marginalization was crucial.
Are There Policies to Address Youth Health in Sri Lanka?
National Youth Policy: For the first time, a relatively comprehensive National Youth Policy was launched in 2014, with a vision to develop the full potential of young people and to enable their active participation in national development for a just and equitable society. It discusses key strategies for policy interventions for priority target groups such as:
  • Unemployed youth
  • Youth from war affected communities
  • Excluded, exploited and discriminated youth groups
  • Young women

The National Youth Policy identifies the adoption and implementation of the Draft National Policy and Strategy on the Health of Young Persons as a key policy intervention in improving the health and wellbeing of Sri Lankan youth.

Draft National Policy on Health of Young Persons: Addresses the issue of preventing unwanted pregnancies through the provision of information and contraceptives. It specifically addresses the need to provide targeted information and counselling on contraceptive usage and other reproductive health services, and provision of targeted services and commodities such as contraceptives to sexually active young people.

National Strategic Plan Adolescent Health: This aims to provide a pathway to improve the health status of adolescents by addressing issues such as teenage pregnancies, HIV, sexually transmitted infections and sexual relationships. It is bold in proposing a health service package for adolescents which includes contraceptive services for eligible young persons.

Young People’s Involvement in Decision Making
As the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, Global Review of 2014 correctly points out, policymakers and implementing bodies must recognize the need of young people “to be involved in the decisions that affect their lives”.

Therefore, Sri Lanka’s population and reproductive health central solutions must be youth inclusive and friendly.

“Young people must be actively empowered to resolve issues that hinder their development and prohibit their full contribution to the socio-economic development of the country”
What needs to be done?
  • The strategies under the National Youth Policy need to be prioritized and implemented by drawing all stakeholders together, in particular the Draft National Policy and Strategy on the Health of Young Persons.
  • Legal principles central to concepts such as at what age young people can make decisions for themselves and the right of information needs be embedded into legal and policy documents to ensure the right of young persons to sexual reproductive health information and services.
  • Young people’s right to privacy is not acknowledged even though the constitution recognizes the rights of young persons to information, equality, and non-discrimination. Rights of young people including privacy, confidentiality and sexual orientation are often belittled by legal framework and implementing bodies. Therefore, policymakers and policy implementers need to recognize youth as a group that has different needs requiring different interventions.