Twenty-first-century India is in the midst of a legal battle for reorganising same-sex marriages. Witnessing these people fight tooth and nail just to be allowed to marry, which is otherwise a fundamental right enshrined under Article 21(Protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution, makes one wonder if it would be easier if people were sexually educated and more gender sensitive. The disapproval of homosexuals and third gender or homophobia is just the tip of the iceberg. Repeated cases of rape involving minors, animals, and sometimes even the dead, rise in unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions, highlight the urgent need for introducing sex education in India as a fundamental right under Article 21 A (right to education) of the Indian Constitution.
India accounts for approximately 1 in 7 of the global count of 121 million unwanted pregnancies, as stated in the United Nations Population Fund report. The report also highlighted that married woman in rural, as well as some parts of urban India who were forced into having sex with their spouse did not consider it as wrong or cruel as, according to them, this is expected of them and were unaware that they had the right to say no. According to the National Crime Bureau (NCRB) data, India recorded an average of 87 rape cases daily in 2019. 80 % of women are oblivious about abortion being legal in India and seek terminations from unskilled backstreet professionals leading to maternal death.
Ignorance among people regarding consent and healthy relationship due to a lack of sex education is giving rise to sexual violence. A 15-year-old girl in Kerala was impregnated by her brother. While deciding the case, the Kerala High Court expressed its concern that such cases will continue if necessary and proper sex education is not provided to children. A man in Maharashtra was captured on a CCTV camera raping a Bengal monitor lizard. At the same time, in another incident in Fatehpur Sikri, a 45-year-old woman was dug out of her grave and raped.
Another instance was when a 21-year-old girl from Kerala, Anjana Hareesh, committed suicide after being forced into conversion therapy by her family after she came out as bisexual. Even after decriminalising homosexuality and homosexual relationships, our country's attitude towards the queer community is not progressive. They have to face atrocities, including but not limited to forced conversion therapies and trying to force them into the rigid gender box or homophobia, are very much present. The list of such heinous crimes is unending, and introducing sex education will go a long way in lowering the occurrences of such crimes. All these instances and figures mentioned above make a strong case for introducing sex education in India.
Introduction of Sex Education in schools and setting up awareness camps have produced exceptional results in lowering sexual violence, gender violence, unplanned pregnancies, and the spread of SITs in countries like the Netherlands. The Dutch curriculum mandates children as young as four years start having some form of Sex Ed. At age 4, the children are taught about intimacy, appropriate touching, and healthy relationships. When the children reach seven years of age, they are introduced to their body anatomy, and when they cross the threshold of 8, they are made aware of gender stereotypes and how to tackle them. By the time children turn 11, issues like reproduction, safe sex, and sexual violence are taught to them. Owing to this practice, the Netherlands has one of the lowest cases of teen pregnancy, HIV, or other Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Sexual Health is not merely the absence of the SITs but physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being concerning sexuality. Being sexually healthy requires a confident and respectful approach to physical intimacy and sexuality and having safe sexual experiences which are free of compulsion, violence, and discrimination.
In India, sex education is limited to reproduction, menstruation cycles, and venereal diseases. It lacks the well-rounded approach necessary for a child's holistic development. Sex education empowers adolescents and young adults to make informed choices about their sexual Health. It arms them with the required knowledge and assistance to navigate their relationships, understand the concept of consent, gender, and sexuality, prevent unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions, and prevent transmission of infections including but not limited to HIV/AIDs. Sex education addresses immediate health concerns and encourages the development of vital life skills such as communication, decision-making, and seeking help and advice from trusted sources.
The main arguments against Sex Education are Parental Control & Obscenity. The main aim of Sex Education is to make children aware of their body's anatomy and working and how to take care of it. There is nothing obscene about knowing oneself. Children between the age of 10-19 make up 21 % (253 million) of India's total population and receive almost no sex education apart from some chapter on reproduction and the mensural cycle in their 10th biology class, which too is taught in a rush by the teachers. Instead of clearing their doubts, this rushed approach teaches them that such subjects are taboo and cannot be discussed openly. The age from 10-19 is accompanied by drastic changes in an adolescent's body, and the teens require the support and understanding of their parents, teachers, and health workers. Since they are not provided with the required knowledge or answers to their queries, they tend to turn to the internet, which can not only provide them with severely incorrect information but also expose them to obscenity. Hence sex education is a way to save children from content that is not right for their age rather than exposing them to obscenity.
Lack of knowledge, cultural stigma, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure contribute to the neglect of the sexual and reproductive health needs of adolescents. The absence of well-rounded sex education leaves young minds vulnerable to misinformation from unreliable sources, such as the web and mass media. Making them susceptible to making blunders resulting in unplanned pregnancies, opting for unsafe means of abortion resulting in deaths(67% of abortions in India are unsafe), or in some cases committing heinous sexual violence. Sex Education will make young adults aware of the risks of sexual exploitation and abuse, allowing them to recognize abuse and protect themselves.
India is a signatory to the 1994 UN International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which requires its member states to provide free and compulsory comprehensive sex education to children, adolescents, and young adults. Additionally, United Nations treaty bodies view the lack of access to sexual education as non-adherence of the State towards its obligation to guarantee the rights to life, Health, non-discrimination, education, and information. The state, by not including sex education under Art. 21 A, is violating the fundamental and human rights of Indian citizens.
After the Nirbhaya Case, a US-based non-profit organization, Avaaz Foundation, gathered 1.1 million signatures on its online petition demanding the introduction of comprehensive, well-rounded sex education for adolescents. They even prepared four steps public education campaign to tackle sexist attitudes. Following this, many NGOs and state governments started campaigns, but they were short-lived. The government recently decided to change India's education system; changes were introduced in the pattern of board exams, CUET, and the discontinuation of MPhil. However, the introduction of Sex Education was not even deliberated.
The need of the hour is the introduction of a proper curriculum to impart Sex Education. Educators need to be trained, and parents and children need to be educated. Separate classes need to be conducted to teach children. Stress should be laid on training teachers and health workers to impart quality sex education. The need for proper infrastructure is another challenge. The government needs to devise guidelines to restrain the prejudice against sex-ed. It also needs to enlist NGOs to help the government provide quality and appropriate sex education.
Sex education is not merely about how to have sex, but it is also about sexual hygiene, reproductive health, contraceptive, gender identity, gender equality, consent, and self-worth. The issue of introducing comprehensive sex education in India is a complex and sensitive matter. However, various evidence cited above supports the need for a more holistic and inclusive approach to sex education. Providing accurate information, promoting healthy attitudes and behaviours, and empowering individuals to make informed choices, will contribute to the overall well-being of young people in India.
Authored by: Kavya Rai
Bennett University
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