Sadia Rahman
2019 Winner
Position: Country Coordinator
Organization: International Youth Alliance for Family Planning
Bachelor of Business Administration from North South University
Additional Degrees and Certifications:
2. Youth Panel Speaker, “18th General Membership Meeting of Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition”, 20-22 March, 2018. Brussels, Belgium, https://www.rhsupplies.org. Organized By: Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition
3. Youth Speaker, “Regional She Decides Conference”, 2nd March, 2018. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, https://asiancorrespondent.com/2018/03/time-women-reclaim-bodies-shedecides-movement-fights-sexual-right s. Organized By: Asian-Pacific Research and Resource Center for Women (ARROW).
● Workshop on value clarification on SRHR and role of media, Bandhu Social Welfare Society, May 2018. ● 3rd Regional Focal Point Workshop of FP2020, Family Planning 2020 Secretariat, March 2018, Nepal.
● Training of Facilitators Gender Based Violence, Youth For Change, Plan-International, Bangladesh, January 2017, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
● Workshop on National, Regional, International advocacy practices, Family Planning Association Bangladesh (FPAB), March 2018, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
● Training of Trainers on Menstrual Hygiene Management, RITU-Platform, February, 2018, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
● Workshop on National Budget Tracking on SRHR advocacy, NARIPOKKHO, January, 2018, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
“Sadia is a youth activist, a trainer and advocate for youth rights. She is utilizing these different opportunities to uncover her passion for learning, leading and form ideals to work in partnership and respecting diversity.”
– Nominator
Describe your contributions to and achievements in family planning.
As a country coordinator of IYAFP, I am leading youth in Bangladesh to improve access to quality information and services related to Family Planning. In a prior role, I was part of a group of young professionals that took the lead to develop a proposal and earned the Right Here Right Now grant to create a youth-led platform for policy advocacy on sexual and reproductive health and rights. Additionally, I have organized forums and ensured representation from youth, government and civil society organizations. I have led a signature campaign to gather support on Youth friendly Health services throughout the country and collected 5000 signatures from youth of 8 divisions of Bangladesh which were endorsed by 20 members of Parliament.
What sparked your passion for family planning?
The fact that a single effort towards family planning can change a life for a lifetime. I believe without achieving autonomy over our bodies we really can not achieve autonomy over our lives. This moved me to work for young people of Bangladesh so they can access safe health facilities to make an informed choice. Also, I grew up in a community without any comprehensive sexuality education which also helped me to realize the importance of access to it and youth friendly health services.
Give one or two examples of how you display leadership in your family planning work.:
I have been involved in a project “Generation Change” of Plan-International which focuses on creating enabling environment for youth organizations in civic space. I have been supporting other youth organizations to claim their space in mainstream advocacy works. Also I have been representing youth in different forums such as a opening panelist in ICFP 2018.I have been supporting my IYAFP Country members to get familiar with family planning practices and mainstream advocacy of Bangladesh.
If you are named a winner of 120 under 40, how will you use this new platform and the $1000 grant to advance your work?
– Will organize 1 national policy dialogue with policy makers and youths from all over the country.
– Will create an advocacy brief on youth friendly services
-Launch a national campaign covering 8 Divisions focusing FP information availability
-An online platform with creative contents on Family Planning
-Forming a family planning taskforce of young advocates to monitor current family planning services and make evidences to support advocacy initiatives
Video Introduction:
Photos of the nominee in the field/at work:
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