Welcome to Berlin
Goto first pageWelcomeSexuality education: lessons learned and future developments in the WHO European Region International Conference, 15–16 May 2017 in Berlin, Germany
WHO Collaborating Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health
Meeting experts from more than 30 countriesProject results - exchange - networking
Participants
Participants
• government ministries (health, youth, education) and other government institutions working in related areas;
• international and national nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), including education associations;
• research institutions; and
• international and multilateral organizations.
Opening speeches
Opening speeches
Presentation of research results and discussion
Presentation of research results and discussionSexuality education in Europe and Central AsiaState of the art and recent developments
Sexuality education in Europe and Central Asia State of the art and recent developments
The presentation of the new research was preceded by brief comments from representatives of BZgA and IPPF EN.
Angelika Hessling, BZgA
Working in close collaboration
Lena Luyckfasseel, IPPF EN
Building and consolidating SAFE
Laura Brockschmidt, BZgA
Pooling sources and resources
Ilona Renner, BZgA
Challenges encountered
Irene Donadio, IPPF EN
Taking the message forward
Sexuality education in Europe and central Asia: main research findings
Main research findings Sexuality education in Europe and central Asia
Main research findings Sexuality education in Europe and central Asia
Background
Methodology
The questionnaire for the research was sent to IPPF member associations and ministries of education or health. It covered laws, policies and strategies, school sexuality education in practice, sexuality education outside schools, youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health service delivery, and relevant survey results at country level that provide insights into other areas of sexuality education. Responses were received from 24 countries from all parts of the WHO European Region.
Main findingsSexuality Education in Europe and Central Asia
Dr Evert Ketting, Consultant, the Netherlands
Main findingsCurriculum status of sexuality education
Dr Evert Ketting, Consultant, the Netherlands
Main findingsSexuality education as a stand-alone subject in schools
Dr Evert Ketting, Consultant, the Netherlands
Main findingsHow comprehensive is sexuality education?
Main findings Country case studies
Main findings Country case studies
Results for Tajikistan
Results for Estonia
Results for Albania
Results for Sweden
More findings
The findings for all 25 countries who took part in the research are available as pdf or as print version. Click here to get more informations.
Main research findings Sexuality education in Europe and central Asia
Main research findings Sexuality education in Europe and central Asia
Conclusion and recommendations
Moving forward, the research recommends that:
• European and central Asian countries that do not yet have a legal basis for sexuality education should be supported in creating such a basis, using examples from comparable countries;
• in the vast majority of countries, there is a very clear need to train teachers in sexuality education and develop educational materials for that purpose;
• in addition to being the main beneficiaries, young people should be more involved in developing, implementing and evaluating sexuality education programmes;
• monitoring and evaluation systems for sexuality education should be strengthened, focusing not only on the quality of the programme, but also the quality of its implementation;
• as there is still widespread misunderstanding of the impact and benefits of sexuality education, there is a strong need to demonstrate the results of scientific research in this field to decision-makers, the education sector and the public at large; and
• sharing of knowledge and experience and collaboration in the field of sexuality education should be strengthened.
Future developments - new practice from across the Region
Future developmentsSexuality education goes online: learning, blogging, advocating
Edutainment videos: production and promotion in Eastern Europe and Central AsiaYulia Plakhutina, UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region
The International Federation of Medical Students Associations’ work with webinars on sexual orientation and gender identity and expressionPepe Ferrer Arbaizar, International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMA)
Sexuality education on YouTube targeted at young people in RomaniaAdriana Radu, vlogger and journalist (SEX vs the STORK), Romania
The global online CSE advocacy hub: uniting comprehensive sexuality education advocates under one virtual roofPetar Mladenov, coordinator of the global online hub for comprehensive sexuality education advocacy
Joint commitment
World Café Joint commitment Strategies and approaches to address diversity of opinion across the European Region
World Café Joint commitment Strategies and approaches to address diversity of opinion across the European Region
1. Who are the main drivers of resistance to sexuality education in your country or region, and what are their main arguments?
2. What kind of effective strategies, actions and networks have you or others in your country or region implemented to meet resistance?
3. What kind of concrete actions should be taken in future to address resistance at national and international levels?
Some results of the discussion can be summarized as follows:
Who and what are driving resistance?
Churches and religious groups, conservative and right-wing politicians and parties, as well as anti-choice activists were identified as the main drivers of active opposition to sexuality education, this being exacerbated in societies with strong patriarchal traditions. However, passive resistance by schools was also highlighted, along with faith-based parents’ groups. Teachers who feel uncomfortable with sexuality education issues, lack understanding about their roles or fear external interventions into their teaching can be a hindrance to the implementation of sexuality education.
Effective anti-resistance strategies
National and international coalition-building, including NGOs, minorities and other stakeholders who may not be primarily focused on sexuality but who nevertheless share areas of common interest (such as those interested in harassment, sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence), was identified as important, as was continuous building of alliances with governmental representatives and parliamentarians.
An interesting example of a successful advocacy initiative was recounted from Belgium, where well-known journalists and TV personalities were invited to ‘hijack’ a school class and talk about sexuality education – this was filmed and broadcast through YouTube and other portals and proved very successful in raising awareness about sexuality education. Another successful example is encouraging people who have previously been resistant to sexuality education but who have, for whatever reason, changed their minds to speak publicly about their experiences and the reasons for their conversion.
Taking concrete action to reduce resistance
Policy coherence is important – sexuality education should not be seen as a stand alone issue, but should influence and be influenced by political activity at country level on issues such as inequalities, teenage pregnancy prevention, mental health, anti-bullying and sexual health: the language used in relation to sexuality-education needs to mirror that used for other policy areas. A more cohesive policy landscape would enable practitioners to implement sexuality education programmes in a more effective manner. Similar approaches might be taken in some countries in ensuring coherence with the SDGs, especially targets 3, 4 and 5.
ImpressionsWorld café
Looking back and moving forward
Looking back and moving forward Take home messages
Looking back and moving forward Take home messages
Based on their participation in the conference and lessons learnt, the youth delegation recommends that:
• CSE should reflect a positive approach to sexuality: when peer educators talk about sexuality, it should provide a strong frame to influence how young people think and talk about sex in the future;
• CSE should also focus on pleasure, not only the risks of having sex: this is important for issues such as consent and sexual violence;
• policies and programmes should be developed to ensure that all young people have access to CSE and services in formal and informal settings;
• CSE should adopt a holistic approach and extend beyond biology to include social and human-rights aspects related to sexual orientation and gender identity;
• professional and political support for CSE should be increased at national level, with appropriate indicators to measure success;
• standards should be set for CSE in informal settings;
• young people from minority backgrounds should be active participants in, and beneficiaries of, sexuality education programmes;
• multisectoral and culturally sensitive approaches that involve more than the health sector should be deployed; and
• programmes need to be relevant to local realities in more traditional societies and should involve all relevant local players, including teachers and religious and community leaders.
The young people’s delegation called on all partners to work together to make CSE a reality for all young people.
Sharafdzhon Boborakhimov, Y-PEER regional network, Tajikistan
Voices of young people
Simone Reuter, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
The need for inclusion
Helene Reemann, BZgA
Working to overcome challenges
Lena Luyckfasseel, IPPF EN
Young people are the experts
Joanna Herat, UNESCO
The strength of collaboration
Rune Brandrup, UNFPA Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Participation and innovation
Responding to demandGunta Lazdane, WHO Regional Office for Europe
Further information
Further information
Printed version Sexuality education: lessons learned and future developments in the WHO European Region Conference report
Printed version Sexuality education: lessons learned and future developments in the WHO European Region Conference report
The overall aim of the conference was to promote sexuality education as an integral part of health promotion and as a crucial element in supporting the healthy development of children and young people. The conference also provided a platform for the facilitation of:
• scientific and technical exchange on latest research results and examples of good practice; and
• networking opportunities among international experts working in the field of sexuality education.
Specific objectives of the conference were to:
• provide an overview on trends and the current state of sexuality education in the WHO European Region; and
• identify current challenges related to the implementation and improvement of sexuality education, as well as future strategies and approaches to address them.
Order number: 60596075
The printed version of the conference report also will be available for download soon.