Remove barriers to sex education for kids

RECENT news reports on cases of sexual abuse of children, such as the girl aged nine who was sexually abused by 10- and 11-year-old boys and the “Monster Dad” who was jailed 48 years and ordered to be whipped 24 times for the charge of sexually abusing his 15-year-old daughter 623 times, highlight the need to review the way we as a society tackle this social ill which seems to be getting more serious.

One fundamental area that still needs to be clearly addressed is sex education for our youths. At the Federation of Reproductive Health Associations Malaysia (FRHAM), we have pushed this agenda for the longest time as our principles dictate that no child is left behind and denied access to comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). However, this can only be achieved when the concerted efforts of various bodies come together and make it a national agenda.

Yes, lots of programmes have been carried out to address this problem in the past.

But the question to ask is, should we be focusing on preventive mechanisms or remedial efforts? Shouldn’t we be providing our young people full access to CSE to teach them how to navigate relationships, identify red flag situa- tions, and become empowered citizens? How many more horrific cases must we see before we finally smash the barriers that have impeded the implementation of a people-centred, rights-based approach to CSE in schools?