CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality

Ximena Arguello Calle, Executive Director

For us, being a SheDecides Champion means belonging to a movement that dares to imagine and to work for a world in which young people can fully realise their sexual and reproductive health and rights. It means that we are not afraid to be bold, vocal and critical in our search for justice while keeping our work youthful, creative and disruptive!

Our work on youth leadership

CHOICE (co)develops youth-friendly trainings, tools, and resources that promote the meaningful and inclusive participation of young people (MIYP) in SRHR. One well-known example is our "Flower of Participation", a tool that employs the metaphor of a blooming flower to represent the factors that enable it to flourish. CHOICE aims to put its resources to the service of the youth movement through its Resource Hub. CHOICE also promotes MIYP by fostering youth-adult partnerships and by facilitating the integration of MIYP within the work of youth-serving organisations that are not youth-led. Finally, through initiatives such We Trust You(th), CHOICE promotes youth-friendly funding practices.

Our work on youth-led advocacy

The Ultimate goal of CHOICE's advocacy work is to protect and progress young people's SRHR, bodily autonomy, and Meaningful and Inclusive Youth Participation (MIYP). We have established 5 priority themes for the advocacy work of CHOICE:

Meaningful and inclusive youth participation in SRHR
Access to safe and universal abortion
Access to inclusive and quality comprehensive sexuality education
Recognition and protection of rights of young people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC)
End sexual and gender-based violence

While conducting our advocacy, we prioritise approaches of intersectional feminism, decolonisation, self-care, evidence-based advocacy and youth movement building.

Our work on youth movement building

CHOICE recognises the urgency and immense potential of a robust youth movement. CHOICE’s approach of work is designed to unite youth advocates, from diverse backgrounds, by creating safe and empowering spaces for mutual learning and solidarity. By cultivating accessible, action-oriented, and inclusive online and in-person spaces for connection, CHOICE contributes to strengthening a global youth movement dedicated to ensuring the sustainability of youth-led organisations, nurturing environments that promote collective learning, and practicing collaborative advocacy.

Our Programme: Right Here Right Now 2 (RHRN2)

The vision of this 5-year programme is for all young people in all their diversity to enjoy their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in gender just societies. The programme is implemented in Bangladesh, Benin, Burundi, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Morocco, Nepal, Tunisia, and Uganda.

As consortium partner, CHOICE’s role is supporting Youth-Led Organisations in the programme, as well as the overall integration of MIYP (Meaningful and Inclusive Youth Participation). We are also co-responsible for the international advocacy, where we support youth-led advocacy at global level and advocate for increased space for young people in international development and international decision-making spaces as well as for more progressive SRHR policies.

Our Programme: Power to Youth (PtY)

The overall objective of Power to You(th) is to contribute to adolescent girls and young women from underserved communities being meaningfully included in all decision-making, particularly focusing on harmful practices, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and unintended pregnancies. The 5-year programme is implemented in seven countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, and Uganda, with coordination support and advocacy activities conducted in the Netherlands and globally.

As a technical partner, CHOICE’s mandate is to support youth-led organisations (YLOs) and ensure meaningful and inclusive youth participation (MIYP) throughout the programme.

Our Programme: Youth Ambassador for SRHR and bodily autonomy

In 2014, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality partnered to ensure young people’s meaningful participation in SRHR as equal partners. The Youth Ambassador SRHR collaborates with policymakers, the Dutch Ambassador for SRHR and HIV/AIDS, civil society organisations, and global youth advocates. This role grants access to negotiation spaces typically off-limits to youth, uniquely positioning the Youth Ambassador to connect and support the international SRHR youth movement.

About CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality

CHOICE is a youth-led organisation based in the Netherlands and operating globally. Our work approach is youth for and by youth. Our team consists of young people from diverse backgrounds filled of passion and commitment to SRHR for all. We aim to create safe, brave, and inclusive spaces for young individuals to engage in activism and advocacy for Meaningful and Inclusive Youth Participation (MIYP), Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), and bodily autonomy. Our vision is that all young people have the power to make decisions about their sexual, reproductive, and love lives!

WHENSHE DECIDES