About 30 Northwestern students gathered Tuesday to learn about the sexual and reproductive health and rights issues facing youth in the Caribbean and Africa and how U.S. foreign aid can impact sexual education inadequacies.

The NU chapter of Americans for Informed Democracy hosted the event in conjunction with the International Student Association and GlobeMed.

The speakers, youth sexual health activists Igomu Ngbede James, a 23-year-old Nigerian, and 21-year-old Anna-Kaye Rowe from Jamaica, discussed the realities of sexual health and rights in their respective countries. Following their presentations, students watched a short documentary called “Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights: Voices from Ethiopia, Jamaica, and Nigeria,” which offered additional insight into the nations’ perceptions about contraceptive use and sexuality. The panelists are currently on a tour of college campuses as part of the International Youth Speak Out Tour sponsored by AID.

The program was intended to empower students to speak out about issues that are important to them, NU AID Vice President Madeline Rozwat said.

“(The event was) really trying to show that youth have a voice, especially on this issue,” the Communication junior said. “Not only is it really important that youth have access to sexual health and contraception, it is important that youth realize the need for this, especially with the climbing population.”

The panelists also encouraged NU students to lobby their congressmen about supporting the Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Act of 2010, which will be introduced in Congress in April. On Wednesday, students from AID at NU will join James, Rowe and national representatives from AID to speak to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) in their district offices about supporting the bill.

Advocates for Youth’s international youth activist network program manager, Mimi Melles, spoke to students about the significance of this legislation for youth throughout the world. She said as Congress reconsiders how it apportions international aid in rewriting the 1961 U.S. Foreign Assistance Act, the passage of the Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Act would be especially timely.

“The section of the (1961 U.S. Foreign Assistance) act referring to sexual and reproductive health is very outdated,” said Melles, who has been travelling around the country with the panelists. “All of the language is focused on population control and fertility reduction. This bill will update the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act so that it talks about sexual and reproductive health from a rights-based approach. It is exciting because it recognizes the vulnerability of young people and the need for young people to be a focus of programs internationally.”

AID Global Health Program Director Priti Gautam said she, Melles and the panelists are calling for support for the $1 billion appropriation in the U.S. Fiscal Year 2011 budget to support international family planning and ensure that the provisions of the Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Act actually reach youth around the world.

James and Rowe said youth in their countries don’t always have the information they need to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies and STDs and often take the wrong attitudes toward protecting their sexual health.

“Young people think they are invincible,” Rowe said. “They think that they do not need to use a condom because (pregnancy or HIV) can happen to you, but it can’t happen to me.”

At the end of the program, Melles emphasized the need for students in the U.S. to assist youth advocates from around the world by influencing U.S. foreign policy.

“We are trying to frame this as a global movement,” she said. “And we need to work together globally to address this issue.”[email protected]