The 4^th YRI for safe abortion that took place from 28^th March to 30^th March in Mumbai was really an unforgettable learning experience for me. I really felt sorry for myself for not being able to attend the 1^st day of the advocacy institute due to cancellation of the flight on 27^th March. Though we missed the 1^st day, we definitely enjoyed the rest of the training.

The sessions were eye openers and extremely useful for the young advocates like us. I was overwhelmed by the role-play session; we learned how to deal with possible difficult questions and arguments, especially by anti-abortion advocates. The sessions conducted by senior Youth champions from previous institutes were remarkably inspiring. Refresher institute provided an opportunity to learn and share with such versatile young and talented mentors in the same space and encouraged me to work more rigorously for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women.

The sharing from the youth champions from different countries of Asia, including Phillippines, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal and India made the training more diverse and enlightening. It gave us insights on the everyday plight and struggle of women and girls for reproductive justice. From that, I gained an understanding that the problems being faced by the women regarding reproductive health and safe abortion all over the world are more or less the same. Even though Nepal has comparatively progressive laws on women’s access to safe abortion safe abortion, but even now 47,000 women still die every year due to unsafe abortion. This shows that having legal and safe abortion access is not enough as dominant stigmas and lack of information adversely affect women’s access to safe abortion services.

Through Youth Advocacy Network in Nepal with regular mentorship by Asia Safe Abortion Partnership (ASAP), we are and will always be working for women’s access to information and stigma free safe abortion access.I am reminded of a quote by Martin Luther King Jr. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”, being a youth champion of ASAP from Nepal, I am not only responsible to advocate within Nepal but with collective effort and support of youth champions from across the region I will continuously work for reproductive justice for women from all over the world.