By Robert A. Emmanuel
Youth advocate from Trinidad and Tobago, Samantha Rampersad, has called on young people to take proactive steps to ensure a sustainable future for themselves and the world.
Her comments came at the end of the two-day Caribbean Forum on Population and Development held this week at the Royalton resort in Antigua.
She said young people have the power to “make the changes that we all are striving to achieve” but that they need to take “responsibility and accountability” for their work.
“When you are working on projects to solve these societal problems, be mindful that you are not indirectly creating other problems.
“Be inclusive in your thoughts, be deliberate in your decisions, go forward, do not feel like you don’t belong, do not feel like you are not good enough because you are more powerful and you have everything it takes,” she said.
The forum was held in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda, and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). It analysed and promoted action to address key population issues affecting the subregion.
There were seven different themes discussed during the conference, including demographic trends in the Caribbean, the contribution of migrants to sustainable development, intensifying regional commitments towards ending gender-based violence, and ensuring rights for all.
UNFPA Executive Director Dr Natalia Kanem spoke about the need for technology to be a social good in ensuring the safety and rights of women.
“Technology is the way of the future, and we say this is a wonderful opportunity to create, compete, prepare young people to be ready and to make sure tech is safe for women and girls.
“Women are 30 times more likely than men to experience online violence, harassment, hazing, doxing,” she said.
Dr Kanem also called for increased partnerships across governmental organisations, private sectors and civil society.
“We, in the Caribbean, are at a moment where we are going to lead on the climate and energy agenda—the blue economies; so should it be in the social agenda that population and development offers.
“As we go forward, I want to see Caribbean men and boys standing tall as champions of reproductive health and gender equality and saying no to gender-based violence,” she added.
ECLAC Director Diane Quarles said people should not “hide from the difficult issues” and “be the voice of courage” in society.
“We need to be able to speak in our families, in our schools, in our communities about the difficult issues, whatever they are,” Director Quarles said.
