Background
Africa has the youngest population in the world, with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30. Such a high number of young people is an opportunity for the continent’s growth – but only if these new generations are fully empowered to realize their best potential.
Young people continue to be in the front seat in challenging cultural norms and harmful practices such as FGM, which has no health benefits but continues to affect the Sexual Reproductive Health of women and girls.
Mobilising young people to continue to take lead and engage other young people to use their platforms to accelerate actions to eliminate FGM in Africa by 2030 is crucial as young people in all their diversity will be included.
About the Project
The Strengthening Youth Advocacies to Eliminate FGM across Africa is a project implemented by YouthHubAfrica in partnership with African Youth Commission and with funding support from the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation to accelerate the elimination of FGM in Africa by 2030.
Objectives of the Training
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To build the capacity of selected young influencers on advocacy strategies to END Female Genital Mutilation across 7 African countries
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To provide mini-grants to successful advocates with exceptional ideas on how to use their existing platforms in challenging harmful social and discriminatory norms that perpetuate FGM in their communities.
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To strengthen young people’s capacity in analysing policies, guaranteeing their success in the advocacy to end Female Genital Mutilation.
About the Training:
15 selected participants representing the project implementing countries will converge and interact with experts on the field to understand grassroots, regional and international advocacy for the elimination of FGM. The training will be an all-expense paid trip to a selected African country for a period of three days to interact with experts on the field by leveraging their platform to create awareness and spur conversations to disrupt the silence on FGM. The trained social media influencers will champion digital activities in their respective countries by mobilising and leading other young people to take action to eliminate FGM in their countries.
Following the training, the Youth influencers will be responsible for the following actions:
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The Influencers will use their social media platforms to reach thousands of people and mobilise them into taking action, engaging key stakeholders and organising conversations in their countries and digital activities to reach a wide range of people to continue to take action to eliminate FGM in Africa.
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The Influencers will jointly produce three short video skits as part of their cross-cutting partnership activities to drive advocacy to Eliminate FGM in Africa.
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The influencers will compete for four awards in form of mini-grants, and the winners will get $2,000 each to support the development of at least five creative content and social media assets to be used by the program to foster engagement in the Elimination of FGM in Africa.
WORTH
If you are selected, you stand a chance to benefit from the following:
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All expense paid trip to a selected African country for the 3 days training
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Free transportation to and from airport trips
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Customised advocacy course and tool kits for digital campaign
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Free training materials on advocacy and digital campaigns.
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Launching a successful advocacy campaign can boost youth engagement, give people an easy opportunity to take action, and expand your community of supporters.
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Chance to compete for a Mini-grant worth $2,000
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Accommodation and meals covered
ELIGIBILITY
- Must be between the ages of 18-35 years old
- Must be resident in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal or The Gambia.
- Open to candidates who are passionate about health and gender equality
- Want to learn and use digital campaigning to bring change
- A huge presence on social media and ability can spur conversations online.
- Good command of English Language and French
- A commitment to apply all learnt during the training in your community/country
- Women are strongly advised to apply.
