Youths Spearhead Sanap Wantaim Campaign in Eastern Highlands Province.

As part of celebrations to mark the International Youth Day, UN Women in Papua New Guinea has engaged youths to increase awareness on their role towards achieving gender equality.  This was during the Sanap Wantaim Campaign National Training of Trainers (TOT) workshop that took place at Hotel Phoenix in Goroka, Eastern Highlands province. The workshop was attended ten by Civil Society Organizations who have received funding under Spotlight Initiative and Women Peace & Humanitarian Fund. Young people shared their stories on what meaningful youth engagement meant to them.

Ms Joanna Oala, UN Women’s Programme Assistant and Generation Equality Campaign Youth Focal Person said young people have the ability to shift the dominant norms and ideas about gender and masculinity, and challenge the patriarchal beliefs, practices, institutions and structures that drive inequality between men and women.

 “By engaging students at a tender age, it means they will grow up recognizing and valuing differences, both in gender and in other aspects of life, which means in future we shall have ambassadors and advocates for gender equality and inclusiveness,” Ms. Oala said.

Ms. Oala added, “As part of our Sanap Wantaim Campaign, we believe in youth and adolescents taking the front seat in advocating for gender equality, justice and dignity for all.  They are the new generation who will take the Gender Equality campaign mantle forward and contribute to change in their communities when we are no more.”

During the discussions, youths demanded government and world leaders to ensure equal economic rights and opportunities, environmental justice, equal participation in politics and leadership, and freedom form violence. Besides that, the youth volunteers highlighted different ways they were contributing to gender equality and shaping decisions in their communities.

In line with the International Youth Day theme, “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health,” youth volunteers showed commitment to continue advocating for gender equality solutions that enable women and girls to lead a transition to a green economy, and build the resilience of women and girls to climate impacts and disaster risk, including through land rights and tenure security within their communities.

The platform gave an opportunity for youth volunteers to uplift their voices and experiences as change agents, who are contributing to change and development of their homes, communities and PNG as whole. At the end of the engagement, youths and young adolescent gave commitment to spearhead the gender equality campaigns within their homes and beyond.

Carrieta Goye, a young Human Rights Defender based in the Eastern Highlands asked young people to use their voices to speak up against injustices, and advocate for gender equality, justice, sexual and reproductive rights, climate action, ending sexual harassment and child marriage in their homes and communities.  

“If you see something wrong in your family, community, and even Government; speak up. We are the agents of change. We are the future generation.  If we don’t do something today, then we may lose it forever,” she said

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women, is a United Nations entity working for the empowerment of women. UN Women became operational in January 2011.