The recent case of a 14-year-old girl sexually abused and impregnated by her brother in Malappuram is not the first such incident reported in recent years. Only one in 10 children in the State acquired sexuality education from family members, as per data based on Project X classroom experience sharing from Kanal Innovations, a charitable organisation that works among students in schools and colleges. A negligible per cent, that is 0.5% to 1%, of students received sexuality education from some camp or organisations that were not part of the school curriculum, it found.
Now, the Thiruvananthapuram district administration, the General Education department, and Kanal have joined hands to provide comprehensive sexuality education in 50 schools in the district this year.
Probably the first such programme being implemented for adolescents in collaboration with the government, Project X will be inaugurated by Director of General Education Shanavas S. at the Government Higher Secondary School, Cotton Hill, here on Tuesday.
So what is comprehensive sexuality education? According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), comprehensive sexuality education gives young people accurate, age-appropriate information about sexuality and their sexual and reproductive health, which is critical for their health and survival.
However, there are a lot of myths, taboos, and misunderstandings surrounding sex and sexuality. Anson P.D. Alexander, director of Kanal, says Project X focusses on reframing sex education into comprehensive sexuality education.
Nearly 5,000 adolescent students, 100 from each of the 50 select schools, will be provided knowledge on a range of topics related to sexuality, including anatomy and physiology, relationships, gender identity, sexual orientation, consent, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, and healthy decision-making.
Subcollector Aswathy Srinivas said Project X aimed at making adolescents understand such a sensitive subject as sexuality education in a language they could comprehend. It will be child-friendly and will have interactive sessions and workshops.
The module developed by Kanal for Project X will cover aspects such as scope of sexuality education, role of emotions in sexuality, managing emotions in relationships, characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships, gender and sex, consent and sexual boundaries, influence of pornography and body image issues, puberty and personal hygiene, basics of sexual hygiene, personal and sexual rights and responsibilities, and POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, 2012.
While 50% of the programme is funded by the district administration, 50% is funded by consultant firm Guidehouse, which has an office at Technopark here, as part of its CSR activities.
Singer G. Venugopal will be the chief guest at the inauguration of Project X at the school at 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday. District Collector Geromic George will preside. The Subcollector, Assistant Collector Akhil V. Menon, Vazhuthacaud ward councillor Rakhi Ravikumar, General Education department officials, and school authorities will be among those present. Prince Abraham, associate director of Guidehouse, will receive a handbook for students that will be released on the occasion.
Kanal has reached out to 10,400 students till now through Project X that was launched six years ago. But with government support, it hopes to reach out to many more so that they can protect their health, make the right decisions, and be safe from sexual abuse and violence.
