UNFPA in Suriname, supported by the European Union funded "Spotlight Initiative,"
recently conducted training sessions on a comprehensive sexual education toolkit and other Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) materials. The goal was to assist participants to comprehend international technical guidelines for sexuality education. The participants included teachers, health educators and advocates for sexual and reproductive health in Suriname.
Throughout the session, the international technical and programmatic guidance on out-of-school comprehensive sexuality education, the international guidance on sexuality education, Suriname National Adolescents Health Strategy served as guidance. The importance of the (Suriname) National Basic Life Skills curriculum was also highlighted during the sessions.
The interactive CSE sessions were led by Nicolette Henry (Comprehensive Sexuality Education Consultant), and Judith Brielle (Liaison Officer, UNFPA SROC, Suriname). It was acknowledged that failing to respond to young people's call for high-quality sexual education will hinder the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals set for 2030 and undermine our commitment to inclusivity.
Without this type of education, many young people approach adulthood faced with conflicting, negative and confusing messages about sexuality which ends up putting them at higher risk for HIV and AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unintended pregnancies, gender-based violence (GBV) and more.
The UNFPA is tasked with supervising policy measures aimed at achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health, advocating for reproductive rights, reducing maternal mortality, eliminating gender-related violence, and accelerating progress on the International Conference on Population and Development agenda.
In 2018, the UNFPA collaborated with the Ministries of Education, Youth Affairs, and Public Health in selected English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries to analyze the curriculum, access, and implementation of appropriate comprehensive sexual education. In the same year, UNESCO also released an updated version of the "International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education," developed in cooperation with international, regional, and national institutions, including UNFPA.
