Do you think exploring your own sexuality should be a crime? Do you know what laws are in place that protect or punish the exploration of your sexuality? In many communities and countries, the laws, policies and regulations designed to protect young people’s sexuality end up punishing them for their sexuality and putting their rights at risk. These restrictive laws, policies and regulations vary widely from country to country. They are often based on outdated colonial legacies that result in harm to young people — especially young women and adolescent girls, sexual and gender diverse people and other young people who are marginalized.

While the criminal justice system is an essential pillar in ensuring human rights for young people, but laws and regulations are often overused or misused when it comes to rights related to gender and sexuality. Sometimes this is explicit, but other times it works in less overt ways to undermine young people’s rights. This is why we are working with our partners to rethink young people’s freedoms, reimagine young people’s rights, and help them to realize their futures. We want to create enabling and rights-affirming environments for young people and the communities that support them, instead of relying on policing and punishment.