Sisonke Msimang, South Africa

Photo by Maihyet Burton

"Stigma around young people's sexuality is particularly damaging because it means that young people don't have access to services around reproductive health, and therefore are denied their rights simply because they're young. Stigma means that because you're not supposed to be having sex, you can't get the information or the healthcare you need. And that's related to vulnerability, because at a particular age, you're more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, to sexually transmitted infections, to unwanted pregnancies—to a whole range of health problems. So, even though your youth may be transitory, the lifelong repercussions and consequences of that period of vulnerability make it particularly important to focus on young people."

About Sisonke

Born to South African parents in Zambia in 1974, Sisonke Msimang spent her childhood and adolescence in Zambia, Kenya, Canada, and South Africa. After receiving her BA in political science and communication studies, she returned to South Africa in 1997 and worked for the Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID) as a Program Officer, and then for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), again as a Program Officer. In 2000 she co-founded the Youth Against AIDS Network (YAAN) with a group of fellow activists. Sisonke has worked with and for a variety of nongovernmental organizations and UN and other international agencies on HIV/AIDS and gender. In February 2004, she participated in "A Dialogue with Young Leaders: Building Capacity and Fostering Participation," a meeting of 15 young advocates for sexual and reproductive rights from around the world, organized by IWHC in partnership with the Youth Coalition.

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