Scoping for Comprehensive Sexuality Education in India
Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Comprehensive sexuality education is essential for adolescent health and wellbeing, as it equips them with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values needed to empower them to realize their health, wellbeing, and dignity. It enables them to develop respectful social and sexual relationships, understand how their choices affect both their own wellbeing and that of others, and ensure the protection of their rights throughout their lives.
In India, adolescents are highly vulnerable, and the government of India recognises this. Through initiatives like the Rashtriya Kishore Swasthya Karykram (RKSK) and the School Health Programme (SHP), the government provides them with information and health services related to nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and more. These initiatives leverage schools as a platform to promote healthy behavior among children, adolescents, and young people.
Scoping for Comprehensive Sexuality Education in India
Population Foundation of India is committed to supporting these efforts. Our project “Scoping for Expansion of Comprehensive Sexuality Education in India” (from November 2020 – October 2023) aimed to empower adolescents by providing access to comprehensive sexuality education through both in-school and out-of-school approaches.
This project was implemented in four states of India: Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Manipur, and Delhi. It resulted in the integration of comprehensive sexuality education into existing government mechanisms at the state level. Population Foundation of India worked in partnership with government departments such as Women and Child Development, Social Welfare, Education, Health and Youth Affairs, and Sports across these states.
Highlights
Through this project, we contributed to the government’s efforts to prioritise adolescent health and wellbeing. Our partnership with government departments enabled us to reach a wider audience and create lasting change.
- In Uttar Pradesh, approximately INR 3,77,43,500 was approved for adolescent reproductive and sexual health components in the Record of Proceeding (ROP) for the year 2022 – 2024 by the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
- Population Foundation of India developed guidelines with the government of Uttar Pradesh to establish health clubs in 56,000 schools and Saathiya Corners in 36 inter-colleges across all 18 divisions in the state. Population Foundation of India directly supported 10 inter-colleges, reaching a total of 20,775 students (11,504 boys and 9,271 girls) with information and counseling on sexual and reproductive health.
- Through Population Foundation of India’s e-learning platform, Educately, 400 Bharat Scouts and Guides (BSGs) in Uttar Pradesh, members of 50 youth clubs in Jharkhand, and 40 Child-Care Institutions in Manipur were trained on adolescent reproductive and sexual health.
- In Jharkhand, we worked with the State Child Protection Society to bring Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) to vulnerable adolescents in 24 Child-Care Institutions (CCIs). We trained 42 staff members as Master Trainers, enabling them to provide adolescents with accurate information on quality health and wellbeing.
- In May 2022, Population Foundation of India signed an MoU with the Department of Social Welfare, Government of Manipur, to integrate adolescent health and wellbeing in child care institutions across the state. Staff from 40 Child Care Institutions were provided three days residential training as Master Trainers on ARSH Module in April 2023. This training enabled 520 staff members at the CCIs and 1,000 adolescents in the CCI to receive quality information on sexual and reproductive health (SRH).
- In Uttar Pradesh, the Department of Health and Family Welfare approved the integration of Adolescent Health and Wellbeing in five districts (Barabanki, Bahraich, Prayagraj, Maharajganj and Sitapur) as a pilot in November 2021, complementing the School Health Programme (SHP). The approval aimed to integrate Adolescent Health and Wellbeing into 4,250 schools using Population Foundation of India’s digital training program “ARSH for You”.
- Population Foundation of India employed Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) frameworks to craft messages and narratives for our Comprehensive Sexuality Education campaign, leveraging SBCC strategies to target adolescents and their parents in Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. Our videos garnered an impressive 23 million views, with outreach extending to approximately 30 million individuals within and beyond the targeted states. Notably, one of our reels went viral, amassing an astounding 8.9 million organic views, 844,000 shares, and 373,000 likes. An in-depth assessment conducted under the grant, titled “Comprehensive Sexuality Education in India: A Review Of Government and Civil Society-Led Curricula And Strategies,” has been acknowledged and included in the UNESCO resources on CSE.
