The recently held 8^th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar http://www.mm8apcrshr.org/ was a great platform especially for young people dedicated to working on the sexual and reproductive health and rights in this region.

The opening day was devoted for the youth to engage in participatory discussions on various related topics to form the basic youth recommendation draft. This was further revised continuously over the next three days of the conference by taking up comments from the youth. The final version came into being on the last day following an extensive discussion session involving the youth scholars primarily.

The whole process was democratically driven and well moderated to make it a unanimous youth voice from the region. As a proud member of the Asia Safe Abortion Partnership (ASAP) family along with other dear members viz. Sarah Ashaya Natali Soysa (Sri Lanka), Le Hoang Minh Son and Nguyen Thi Thao (Vietnam), Anika Binte Habib (Bangladesh); I feel we have contributed actively in keeping the issue of safe abortion incorporated and well worded in the youth recommendation.

It will be worthwhile to carefully go through the youth recommendations https://8thapcrshr.wordpress.com/2016/02/28/nay-pyi-taw-youth-recommendation-2016-8-apcrshr/

This key document can be referred to in our advocacy efforts to bring policy into action. Now, it is for us, the pro choice advocates and SRHR advocates at large, to strive tirelessly for full realisation of the youth recommendations in our community, state, country and region.

On this occasion of International Women’s Day, let us pledge to uphold these rights so that our future is safe and our rights are fulfilled !