Welcome to our fourth quarter newsletter for the year 2023! The annual international campaign of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. In between this period December the 1st is World AIDS Day. The sixteen days of activism against gender-based violence will be time for action and advocacy by INERELA+ and its Country Networks to ensure women in all their diversity live free of violence and coercion. We will be using our creativity to promote a message of zero tolerance to violence. Violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent and pervasive human rights violations and the impacts of violence can last a lifetime, affecting their physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health. Violence against women and girls disrupts peace and stability within families and communities. In 2023, we mark the 35th commemoration of World Aids Day. The 35th commemoration of World AIDS Day is an opportunity to reflect on our journey, acknowledge and celebrate the progress we’ve made and recognize the challenges remaining. This year’s theme, “World AIDS Day 35: Remember and Commit” pays tribute to those we have lost to HIV/AIDS. The impact of this epidemic has been profound, affecting individuals, families, and entire communities across the globe. Remembering the lives lost not only honours their memory but also emphasizes the urgency of our commitment to end the HIV epidemic. Through remembrance, we will draw strength and determination to redouble our efforts in fighting the disease and providing support to those with HIV. It will be time to remind ourselves of the importance of compassion, empathy, and solidarity in the face of adversity.
Global Forum for Adolescents
From the 11th -12th of October 2023 I attended the Global Forum for Adolescents which was organized by the Partnership for Maternal New Born and Child Health (PMNCH) – the world’s largest alliance for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health to galvanize attention to the needs and priorities of adolescents and young people around the world. The world’s largest online meeting of adolescents and young people brought together a global community of adolescents, advocates, and leaders for two impactful days of debate, dialogue and action. The two days engaged a diverse mix of thought leaders, change makers and passionate individuals in crucial conversations and commitments towards adolescent health and wellbeing.
INERELA+ Learning Forum
In a two-day intense learning forum held from the 23rd to the 24th of October 2023, participants reflected, exchanged ideas on strategies to drive change, shared learning on how to navigate challenges and achieve collaborative impact through sessions like gender, climate change, mental health, and psycho – social support amongst others. The training sessions were honest, interactive, and met with enthusiasm. Experts from our partners SONKE Gender Justice, Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) and the Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative (REPPSI) supported us to deliver and facilitate the training which reached out to teams from fifteen INERELA+ Country Networks.
By the end of the learning forum, participants left with renewed drive and new lessons learned as the training was fundamental and comprehensive. The feedback we received from those who attended the learning forum was encouraging and there were also lessons we picked which will help us improve next year’s learning forum.
Collaboration Enhancement for Greater Impact
In a bid to enhance collaboration INERELA+ Zimbabwe took part in The Men Engage Africa SRHR Learning and Exchange Symposium from 23 – 25 October in Johannesburg, South Africa. The symposium was themed “SRHR for All: Building a Better Future for Africa’s Youth”. The symposium brought together a diverse range of stakeholders committed to advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in Africa. It was hosted by Sonke Gender Justice in collaboration with the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), Save the Children International (SCI), Frontline AIDS, The Global Network of Young People living with HIV (Y+ Global), UNESCO, Community Centre for Impact, The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This three-day event was a platform for reflection, learning, and action towards fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, inclusive and innovative strategies to strengthen advocacy and programming for comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), safe abortion, and youth-friendly health services in Africa.
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We hope you enjoy reading this edition.!!!!
Gratefully yours,
Munya Mandipaza
Executive Director