What We Do

Youth LEAD is the largest network of young key populations in the Asia Pacific, working directly with key populations and for their needs. Recognising that youth-led or youth-serving organisations/networks often have difficulty in securing funds; Youth LEAD began providing grants since 2013 to support the YKP movement and YKP organisations. In 2019, Youth LEAD is now supporting 14 organisations across the Asia Pacific through the help of several key funding agencies.

"Youth LEAD is an institution for change, providing YKP grassroots organisations with the tools and support to better their communities in the Asia Pacific region." - Vanessa Monley, Programme Officer at Youth LEAD

YKP Grants Programme

The Robert Carr Fund (RCF), The Global Fund (GF) and various United Nations agencies have been supporting Youth LEAD since 2013. Part of the funding from RCF, GF and the UN have been mobilised to support the YKP Grants Programmes. The programme is aimed at ensuring the human rights of young key populations (YKP) are respected, and the impact of HIV and AIDS is mitigated through the meaningful involvement of YKP in gaining equal and equitable access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Several UN agencies such as UNFPA APRO, UNAIDS RST, UNICEF ROSA and UNICEF EAPRO have also contributed to the YKP Grants Programme in their commitments to support YKP programmes and organisations across Asia and the Pacific. Since 2013, Youth LEAD and through the support of our stakeholders have granted more than a cumulative total of USD 760,000 to various YKP organisations across Asia and the Pacific.

Every two years Youth LEAD opens a call to youth-led or youth-serving organisations and networks working on young key population issues to access YKP Grants.

To find out more on the YKP Grants Programme, email info@youth-lead.org or follow us on social media for regular updates.

Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)

The integration of HIV and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) is still a hurdle in many countries in Asia and the Pacific, denying or depriving YKPs of a variety of services. This is due to a lack of knowledge on SRHR among YKPs, stigma and discrimination among SRHR service providers, inadequate knowledge on HIV and SOGIE among SRHR service providers, and a lack of proper policy on HIV-SRHR integration. Exceptionally few initiatives have been designed to meet the SRHR needs of YKPs. Therefore, Youth LEAD advocates for the SRHR needs of YKPs in the Asia Pacific region by integrating key issues within its training manuals. The TeenGen and NewGen Leadership Training manual incorporate SRHR components, and similarly, SRHR components can be found in the YKP Guidance manual and the Legal Advocacy Toolkit. Youth LEAD also advocates for the inclusion of YKP issues in the global guidance on Out Of School Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). The guidance developed by UNFPA explores in detail the needs and issues of YKPs.

Youth LEAD has partnered with Y-PEER APC (Global Network of Young People working on SRHR) since 2014 to expedite the process of SRHR and HIV integration at the country and regional levels. Some examples include studies on SRHR needs of YKP and skill-building sessions at the International and Regional AIDS Conferences.

Advocacy

Advocacy is one of the core programs of Youth LEAD and its in-built in our key policies, strategic plan, and everyday work. The ultimate advocacy goal of Youth LEAD is to create an enabling environment for YKPs where they can enjoy their life adhering to the highest standards of human rights - free from discrimination and injustice. Youth LEAD applies numerous approaches to advocacy at various levels.

Our country partners lead the country-level advocacy. Youth LEAD supports advocacy through the YKP Grants Programme, offers technical support and establishes strategic partnership to leverage the network's presence. Some of our advocacy agendas include influencing national policies such as the National Strategic Plan on HIV, YKP friendly HIV interventions, engagement of YKP in decision-making levels (e.g. Country Coordinating Mechanism - The Global Fund), addressing legal barriers and challenges (e.g. age of consent), the Global Fund country proposal development, and much more.

The Youth LEAD secretariat primarily leads the regional and global advocacy with support from its board member, country network partners and focal points. Youth LEAD consistently explores opportunities to engage in crucial meetings such as Inter-governmental Meetings (e.g. APPC, APFSD, IGM on HIV, High-Level meetings), AIDS conferences, SRHR conferences, the Global Fund Board Meeting and UNAIDS PCB meeting. Additionally, Youth LEAD has on various occasions co-organized pre-youth forums for APPC and APFSD with regional partners; have been involved as a delegation member to the Global Fund Board; have been observers at the UNIADS PCB meetings, and have been steering committee members for SRHR conference. These are the platforms where regional and global dialogues take place when it comes to decisions being made directly/indirectly on young key populations.

Our Collaborations

Youth LEAD is proud to work in partnership with various global working groups on young key populations.

IATT (Inter-Agency Task Team on Young Key Populations)

Youth LEAD has been a member of the Interagency Task Team on Young Key Populations (IATT) since 2012 and has co-chaired the task team in 2015 and 2019. The IATT is a collaboration of civil society organisation/networks and UN agencies working on young key populations in the Asia Pacific and holds bi-monthly meetings in Bangkok, Thailand. The IATT works collaboratively to address emerging key population trends and is founded on strengthening partnerships between members working on HIV.

4Youth - Global YKP Consortium

The 4Youth consortium is comprised of four regional and global networks working on HIV under the RCF grant for 2019 - 2021. Youth LEAD (Asia Pacific network of young key populations), YPEER (Global network of young people working on SRHR), Y+ (Global network of young people living with HIV) and Youth RISE (Global network of young people who use drugs) came together in 2019 to form 4Youth. The consortium is working to advance global efforts on youth in the HIV response through the strengthening of networks.

PACT

The PACT is a vibrant coalition of more than 80 youth-led and youth serving organisations working collaboratively and strategically in the global HIV response. The PACT unites youth organizations working at national, regional and global levels to fight for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of all people. Youth LEAD has been a member of the PACT since its inception in August 2013 and has taken various leadership roles on different thematic workstreams.