2017 Call for New Members

The Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (YCSRR) is an international organization of young people (ages 18-29 years) committed to promoting adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health and rights at the national, regional and international levels. We are students, researchers, lawyers, health care professionals, educators, development workers, and most importantly, we are all dedicated activists.

Together, we work to ensure that the sexual and reproductive rights of all young people are respected, guaranteed and promoted, and strive to secure the meaningful participation of young people in decision-making that affects the lives of young people and adolescents. We do this through advocating, generating knowledge, sharing information, building partnerships and training young activists.

Youth Coalition is excited to open its 2017 call for applications for new members!

We are looking for young people who are passionate about sexual and reproductive health and rights and are eager to further their experience through international advocacy work.

The YCSRR relies on an active volunteer membership. Most of our work is done virtually and takes place via an interactive online platform called Podio, as well as through email and Skype. In order to be a member, you must be between the ages of 18 and 29 and support and promote our principles and values.

On the whole, the work that we do is focused on advocacy at the international level. Specifically, our members attend international conferences and meetings where they advocate for youth sexual and reproductive rights. We also develop advocacy strategies, create publications and organize trainings on specific issues such as abortion rights and youth participation.

YCSRR accepts members from different backgrounds, with varying skills and experiences. We accept up to two members per country. As our working language is English, members must possess sufficient listening, speaking, reading and writing English language skills. In addition to supporting our principles and values, we look for members who have enough time to meaningfully contribute to the work that we do (members are required to devote a minimum of 7 hours per week to YC activities, which includes responding to emails, contributing to online discussions and taking part in our planned activities). Previous knowledge of international-level advocacy and policy instruments (e.g. the International Conference on Population and Development’s Programme of Action, the Sustainable Development Goals, etc.) is considered an asset.

Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights recognizes the contributions and crucial perspectives that individuals from marginalized communities bring to our team. People including, but not limited to, those from the following groups are encouraged to apply: indigenous peoples; women; mothers; single parents; immigrants; protected persons/refugees; people of colour; lesbian, bisexual, gay, two spirit, transgender, gender non-conforming, gender fluid, non-binary, agender, gender queer, and questioning people; intersex people; people with disabilities; and those marginalized on the basis of class or caste.

We especially encourage applications from young people in the following regions: Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Latin America, South Asia, the Caribbean and East Asia.

Desirable skills and competencies include:

·         Strong leadership skills;

·         Facilitation and public speaking skills;

·         Experience in public health;

·         A human rights background (gender justice or feminist background preferred);

·         Experience in the field of development;

·         Research and writing experience;

·         Experience with policy analysis;

·         Communications skills (social media, graphic design, etc.);

·         Experience in organizing advocacy campaigns; and

·         Experience and/or involvement with local/regional/international volunteer and/or youth organizations

If you believe that you meet the above criteria, please follow these steps to apply:

1.      Submit all documents to membershipcommittee@youthcoalition.org by 23:59 EST/NYT March 13, 2017. No late applications will be considered.

2.      Once your application is submitted, the membership committee will review it. Applicants who move on to the next level will be invited to participate in a Skype interview. Please note that due to the high volume of applications only applicants invited to the next stage of the recruitment process will be notified. Thank you for your understanding.

Documents to be included:

1.      A completed application form (Download 2017 Membership Application Form);

2.      Your resumé or curriculum vitae; and

3.      One letter of reference from a teacher, colleague, friend, etc. (letter can be in English, French, Hindi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog or Urdu) describing your involvement in sexual and reproductive rights work, your work in youth advocacy, and your English proficiency (if applicable).

If you have any questions about YCSRR or the membership application process, feel free to contact us at membershipcommittee@youthcoalition.org.