A significant step towards empowering youth in national policymaking was taken on Tuesday with the official launch of the Youth Catalyst Project at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This transformative initiative aims to integrate youth perspectives into national policies concerning sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and climate resilience
The project, a collaborative effort by UNFPA Bangladesh, funded by Sida, and implemented by SERAC-Bangladesh, seeks to influence national policy and program reforms. A key focus is to reach marginalized and climate-vulnerable communities, ensuring their voices are heard in critical national discussions.
The inception meeting was chaired by Dr. Md. Sarwar Bari, Secretary, Medical Education and Family Welfare Division, and convened a diverse group of senior government officials, academics, and development partners. Dr. Bari underscored the necessity of youth-centered and cross-sectoral policy reform, advocating for a holistic approach that links health with education, climate action, and broader social development goals.
Dr. Ashrafi Ahmed, Director General of Family Planning, emphasized the urgent need to address child marriage and teenage pregnancy, calling for accessible and accurate SRHR information for all young people.
Dr. Vibhavendra Singh Raghuvanshi, Chief of Health at UNFPA Bangladesh, highlighted the government’s active involvement and Sida’s strong partnership in the project’s inception. He announced the upcoming development of a National Youth Position Paper, which will be informed by extensive consultations across divisional, district, and national levels.
Felix Helgesson, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Sweden, stressed the vital role of youth leadership in advancing SRHR and climate justice, aligning the project’s objectives with Sweden’s foreign policy and recent youth movements in Bangladesh.
Other prominent speakers included Dr. Halida Hanum Akhter of the Women’s Reform Commission, Prof. Dr. Iqbal Kabir from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Mainul Islam of the University of Dhaka, and Dr. Sultan Ahmmed from the Directorate General of Family Planning. All speakers reinforced the critical need for youth-informed and inclusive policymaking.
S M Shaikat, Executive Director of SERAC-Bangladesh, presented the project roadmap, calling for a stronger connection between grassroots youth voices and national commitments on SRHR, climate action, and global development agendas.
Dr. ASM Hasan, SRHR Specialist at UNFPA, reiterated that youth engagement in policymaking is no longer optional but essential for building inclusive and forward-looking health and climate systems.
The event also saw the introduction of two national youth advocacy platforms: the Bangladesh Youth Health Action Network (BYHAN) and the Youth Coalition for Climate Justice (YCCJ). These platforms are designed to enhance youth contributions to key policy instruments, including the National Population Policy, National Family Planning Strategic Plan (2024–2030), National Adolescent Health Strategy (2017–2030), and the National Adaptation Plan (2023–2050).
The meeting concluded with an engaging open youth-policy dialogue, moderated by Sainee Aziz, Senior Assistant Secretary. Young participants from across the country raised pressing issues ranging from menstrual health challenges in the garment sector and service disruptions during disasters to SRHR access for youth with disabilities and gender-based violence in crisis shelters.
The outcomes of this dialogue will be instrumental in developing a national, youth-led Position Paper. This paper is expected to pave the way for sustained engagement between youth and policymakers, ultimately shaping Bangladesh’s health and climate resilience agenda for years to come.
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