Background The youth led Alliance is rolling out the Adolescent Health and Well-being Tool Kit with the goal & objectives as outlined below:  By 2020 in Malawi policies, laws and strategies targeting the adolescents and young people will be up to date, harmonized and enforced in line with international, regional and national frameworks by 2020. Objectives: To mobilize and stage self-youth advocacy on review and harmonization of laws and policies governing age of consent on adolescent access to HIV and sexual reproductive services. To lobby for lowering of adolescent age of consent on access to sexual reproductive health services from 16 years in consistent with HIV testing of 13 years in Malawi. The gaps identified in rolling out the Tool Kit in the context of laws, policies and data are: Guidelines for Pediatric HIV Testing and Counseling (2007), sets the age of consent for HIV Testing and Counseling at 13 years. No law states the age of consent to contraception, condoms and HIV Services National Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Strategy (2009), does not provide specific age of consent to access contraception, only referring to people of reproductive age (15-49 years)

Gaps Contd & Recommendations Draft Children’s Policy acknowledges the constitution’s and Child Care Protection and Justice Act (2010) definition of 16 years. Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women aged 15-19): accounts 136 births per 1000 women aged 15-29 (MDHS, 2015-16. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) stands at 4.4% (15-49 years) as of 2015-16 Unmet need for contraception  in adolescents: 22.2% of married women aged 15-19 accounted for unmet need for contraception-family planning as compared to sexually active unmarried women which accounted for 10.8% (MDHS, 2015-2016) Recommendations Review & Harmonize in consistent with laws and policies governing adolescent access for HIV and SRHS. This should employ and embrace a rights based approach and should be inclusive to enable service providers in NGOs and health facilities to serve clients of all ages, adolescents and youth as a priority. Involve adolescents and youth in design implementation and monitoring of policies, laws and programmes in tandem with the UNCRC on the right to be heard in Malawi and across SADC including put up guidelines on ASRHS accessibility to 13 years.

Youth Led Mobilization Team on Age of Consent: THE END; Youth Led Mobilization Team on Age of Consent: THE END; THANK YOU; MERCI: ZIKOMO