A Saskatoon woman is one of 10 new members of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council.
Topaza Yu, a fourth-year University of Saskatchewan kinesiology student, said she applied last year and was excited to receive news of her new role this summer.
“I’ve always been interested in policy and when the opportunity came up, I was ready to showcase to them what I could offer being on the council,” Yu said.
“Council members are able to provide advice to the prime minister, cabinet ministers and government officials. So our discussions are captured in the meeting summary which is then used by government officials to follow up with relevant ministers and departments for further actions.
“I would say I’m a really strong believer for the principle of nothing for us, without us. So I think it’s extremely vital to incorporate youth voices in all levels of government so the policies itself can better reflect and represent youth needs.”
In March, Yu received an RBC BreakOUT award from OUTSaskatoon for her volunteer work in the local LGBTQ2 community.
Topaza was making sexual rights and reproductive health information more accessible for young people. She also ran a campaign to destigmatize and raise awareness about the importance for teens, especially in this community, to get annual STI testing.
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The award goes to someone aged 13-25 who has impacted the gender and sexually diverse community and made a significant contribution to the growth and development of a strong and vibrant LGBTQ2 community.
“My priorities and goals for the Prime Minister Youth Council is to advocate and highlight the importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights,” Yu said.
“I want to continue the push forward of eliminating the men who have sex with men blood ban as it is based on questionable science and perpetrates a stigma against men who have sex with men while limiting the already scarce Canadian blood supply.
“I very much hope to bring my knowledge and experience on sexual and reproductive health and rights and continue creating a space where everyone feels like their voice matters in the dialogue.”
The federal government said it strongly values youth perspectives and will continue to work with the council members on important issues that matter to them including COVID-19, the environment and reconciliation.
This year’s new members will form the council’s fifth cohort since its creation in 2016. Members typically serve for a period of as much as two years.
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