Heeding concerns of women and youth essential to drive change

WOMEN and young people demand to be heard in finalising the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 targets.

This is the strong statement made by Dutch-based NGO Building Bridges, following a campaign that has seen two of its members travel 17 000km by bicycle from Amsterdam to Cape Town.

Building Bridges board members Jilt van Schayik and Teun Meulepas arrived in Cape Town on Saturday having travelled for over 170 days across two continents, interacting with hundreds of women and young people in more than 20 countries.

Their mission is to picture the post-Millennium Development Goals 2015 agenda through a per- spective that focuses on the priorities of young people and women on the ground, and their vision of the world in 2030.

Speaking on their arrival in Cape Town, a tired but cheerful Meulepas said their strategy and trip was about transcending the gap between policymakers and people on the ground.

“Our journey is not about two Dutch guys on bicycles, but rather about the young African men and women we met and interacted with along the way. For too long we have had leaders, and men in particular, decide on programmes without consulting with their intended recipients.

“This journey has been about how to connect these people to elevate their voices, so that they can be heard in the hallways and rooms of bodies such as the UN”.

Van Schayik highlighted that as the final phase of the SDG 2030 agenda is shaped at the UN, NGOs and civil society are once again not included in deciding on final targets.

“We refuse to accept that this is the way towards a credible and achievable sustainable development. We believe that young people, who make up more than a quarter of the world’s population and women, should be at the centre of such an agenda.

“It is this contrast and inequality that makes us wonder how these goals relate to the reality on the ground. How does the SDG agenda reflect the actual priorities of young people on the ground? And how do those young people see the world in 2030 for themselves?”

The team has through the journey interacted with young people in countries including Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo and Namibia.

Issues raised by young people in most countries include concerns around decent jobs, quality health care and access to education.

Speaking on the campaign, local Building Bridges Ambassador Samantha Ndiwalana said young people in Cape Town would also have their voices heard.

“The conclusion of this journey on the eve of South Africa’s Women’s Day allows us to not only be part of celebrating this day, but also affords us an opportunity to draw from the month of August to bring more attention to the unheard voices in this critical discussion.

“Young people and women, whether they are in Abidjan, Accra or Khayelitsha, are best suited to say what they need, and it is the responsibility of their representatives in the UN to listen.”

Building Bridges Cape Town Programme:

Today: 10am-4pm, Unasa Building Bridges discussions with Cape Town youth, UCT.

Wednesday: 5pm, Building Bridges farewell – to be addressed by UN Women Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

This has been about how to connect these people to elevate their voices so they can be heard in the hallways and rooms of bodies such as the UN