AYUDH present at United Nations Youth Forum on the 60th Commission on the Status of Women

March 2016, New York, USA

Our youth wing, AYUDH, was invited to play a key role in the United Nations Youth Forum on the 60th Commission on the Status of Women. AYUDH was an integral part in planning and organizing the first-ever forum of its kind, with some representatives forming a part of the declaration team to capture lessons learned and put forth recommendations proposed by delegates. UN Women, World YWCA and UN-Inter Agency Network on Youth Development’s Working Group on Youth and Gender Equality hosted the event.

AYUDH representatives from India, Denmark, Austria, Germany, Canada and the United States of America participated at the two-day forum in New York City where they developed strategies to integrate youth, in particular young boys and girls, in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal agenda. AYUDH collaborated with youth from the around the world to provide recommendations for the declaration representatives of member states, UN entities, and other ECOSOC-accredited NGOs would consider and sign to achieve gender equality globally. Additionally, AYUDH members presented a workshop featuring our own Amrita University’s Women’s Empowerment: Sanitation project and the need for grassroots young women-led cooperatives for sustainable economic and social development.

During the conference, AYUDH representatives met with Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, the UNSG's Special Envoy on Youth; Mr. Ravi Karkara, Senior Advisor Strategic Partnership and Advocacy To the Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women; and with Ms. Monica Singh, an acid attack survivor and human rights activist and speaker.

AYUDH members left the forum feeling empowered and continually keeping Amma’s messages in mind. As a result, AYUDH is eager to plan events and projects, which will educate youth on the importance of the UN’s new Sustainable Development Goals while providing its members with a platform to develop the SDG framework with other youth from across the world. AYUDH Europe will host its Youth Summit July 17-24 at M.A. Center Germany while AYUDH Americas’ will be held August 4-7 at M.A. Center Chicago.