Written by Madeline Cuillerier and the Youth Public Engagement Champions (YPEC)

We, the Youth Public Engagement Champions (YPEC) are a group of Canadian youth aged 16-24 who are raising awareness of young people’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) through the SHE SOARS project. Through activities like our SHE SOARS podcast and Instagram page, we are creating engaging educational content for our peers to inspire conversations and critical thinking about SRHR issues and youth leadership. We hope to connect young Canadians with resources they can use to learn more about global SRHR, as well as becoming advocates in their own right.

Since beginning our work in 2022, we have seen firsthand how much young people can accomplish when they work together to create change. We have had the chance to speak and work with many inspiring youth leaders working on the SHE SOARS project to improve girls’ access to SRHR information and services in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia. These connections have allowed us to start important, inspiring conversations with young people in Canada, all while developing new skills and building our confidence as advocates along the way.

We did a Q&A to share what drives us and why we think it is so important to have youth involved in projects like SHE SOARS:

Why is it important that youth voices are represented in the project?

“SHE SOARS is a project meant to help youth, so I think it’s only right that youth are allowed to take a leadership role. Ultimately, young people know best what barriers we’re facing and how they can be overcome. We just need a space where we have the resources and support needed to do something about it.”

-Madeline Cuillerier

What are you most proud of during your time with YPEC and what have you learned?

“During my time with YPEC, I have had the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone, particularly through the various engagement opportunities we have had throughout the term. I was invited to present at the Aga Khan Foundation Canada’s Global Health Summit about our work. This allowed me to facilitate dialogue and engage high school students on the topic.”

-Mishika Khurana

Why does this global SRHR topic matter to Canadian youth? Why do we need to advocate for it?

“This topic matters to Canadian youth because SRHR is relevant to every person, in every corner of the globe. Oftentimes, we are faced with the same issues here in Canada as others are around the globe, even though these issues might present themselves a little differently across contexts. This has become increasingly evident to me, especially when interviewing folks from Canada and internationally on the podcast. Through collectively sharing stories about our regions’ SRHR struggles, our sense of solidarity and motivation to create change is renewed, as well as our understanding of the systemic nature of these issues. We know that we are stronger together, and that is why Canadian youth care about global SRHR advocacy.”

-Lauren Tilley

YPEC members, Shannon and Mishika, lead a CARE SHE SOARS informational booth at an event.
Photo: Sarah MacIndoe/CARE Canada

What is the most unique part of this project?

“Something that’s really unique and special about SHE SOARS is the way that it addresses SRHR access at multiple levels, from working with individuals and the community, to engaging decision-makers at local and national levels to advocate for change. The project includes holistic SRHR education for girls and boys, youth research and leadership opportunities, partnerships with youth-led organizations and entrepreneurs, and intergenerational dialogues to ensure buy-in from people of all ages – it takes a multi-faceted approach to solve a multi-faceted problem.”

-Shannon Thom

How are you meaningfully engaged in SHE SOARS?

“One of the most meaningful ways I am engaged in the SHE SOARS project is through building connections with youth from different parts of the world. Through working on the podcast and advocacy efforts, all of us YPEC members have the opportunity to engage with youth from Kenya, Uganda and Zambia and it has been so rewarding to hear their experiences and the work that is happening in the partner countries. I’m particularly grateful for all the engagement I have with the SHE SOARS Youth Advisory Board, discussing the various podcast topics, hearing their personal stories, and sharing laughs has been very rewarding.”

-Amal Abdulrahman

SHE SOARS Podcast: Her Voice. Her Rights.

Our SHE SOARS podcast was launched in February 2023 and we started raising awareness on Instagram in fall 2022. To date, we have explored a range of topics such as barriers young people face in accessing SRHR, the importance of youth-friendly language in advocacy, and deconstructing common SRHR-related myths. To learn more, visit the links below.