Sexuality education in India: examining the rhetoric, rethinking the future

Abstract

Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) has been recognised globally as key to helping young people assert their sexual and reproductive rights. In India too, there is growing awareness of the importance of providing CSE not only to reduce sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancies and abortions but also to teach important life skills. Simultaneously, lack of political will and conflicting interests among certain religious and political factions have ensured that no uniform CSE curriculum has been implemented throughout the country. This paper analyses the Adolescent Education Programme teacher curriculum as revised in 2009-2010 by the National Council of Educational Research and Training and the United Nations Population Fund. It highlights some of the opportunities presented by the curriculum and argues that despite its intent of providing relevant sexuality education for young people, the language of the curriculum is vague, thus potentially exacerbating confusion, and excluding people who do not conform to societal stereotypes of sex, gender, and ability. In order to be holistic, any CSE programme must be inclusive, cater to diverse needs and present content in a rights-based language without adding to the socio-cultural context of mystery and shame attached to sexuality.

The (mis)match between sexuality education programs in school and the expectations of Ecuadorian adolescents

“…Discussions about an appropriate design for sexuality education in schools -in terms of content, time, methodology, evaluation, and expected outcomes -reflect a variety of challenges. By definition is the design of sexuality education programs in schools linked to cultural values (Walters & Hayes, 2007), as well as to myths and stereotypes about sexuality and sexuality education (Das, 2014). Discussions reiterate concerns, pressures and censures about what sexuality education should (not) imply and how it should be included into the school curriculum (Bay-Cheng, 2003;Walters & Hayes, 2007;Das, 2014).…”

“…Being context-sensitive also requires that sexuality education programs are aligned with adolescents' specific circumstances and unique characteristics (DiCenso, Guyatt, Willan, & Griffith, 2002;Helmich, 2009;MacDonald et al, 2011;Schmidt et al, 2015;Simovska & Kane, 2015;Thomas & Aggleton, 2016). Literature points at the need to teach sexuality education in a developmentally appropriate way, acknowledging that adolescents' development may differ in specific cultures and contexts (World Health Organization, 2010;Muhanguzi & Ninsiima, 2011;Das, 2014;Thomas & Aggleton, 2016).…”

“…Key to ensure school-based sexuality education programs succeeding in encompassing adolescents' needs and interests is the professional role of teachers. While wellprepared teachers are key to effective sexuality education (Barr et al, 2014), research concludes that a majority of teachers assigned to teach sexuality education have received little or no formal related training and do not feel empowered for this responsibility (Cohen, Byers, Sears, & Weaver, 2004;Walters & Hayes, 2007;Das, 2014). At the same time, research shows that adolescents are aware of this weakness in teacher competences (Allen, 2005), and adolescents' perceptions of their teachers' professional preparation to (not) address sexuality education influence their motivation and engagement towards the subject (MacDonald et al, 2011;Adams Tucker et al, 2016).…”

Headline violence and silenced pleasure: contested framings of consensual sex, power and rape in Delhi, India 2011-2014

“…They also release print and digital web-based media teaching about sexuality, education about consensual sex and alternatives to coercion. 18,19,[21][22][23] Other NGOs and feminist publishing houses have produced edited volumes and annotated bibliographies about sexuality as well as histories of women's rights advocacy. [23][24][25] Increasingly, scholars and advocates have been addressing issues of women's sexual pleasure, consent and agency within South Asia, both in the present and with historical lenses.…”

“…Development practitioners have noted that far from being silent, mainstream development has long engaged with sexuality, albeit often focusing on medicalized, negative and dangerous aspects such as population control, sexually transmitted diseases, and sexual violence. 21,29 Others focus on the need to listen to women's own perspectives of their sexual and reproductive experiences. 30 More recently however, in the context of engaged development practice, advocates and NGOs have also conducted projects and research in India that have brought attention to the pleasure and power of women's sexuality, focusing on more affirming aspects of sexuality, such as pleasure, agency and consent.…”