Photo credit: Valter Hugo Muniz/WCC
This article explores a partnership between UNESCO and the Church of Sweden to promote comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in southern Africa. It draws on excerpts from the YouTube video featuring Patricia Machawira, a representative from UNESCO.
Machawira highlights the commitment made by 21 southern African countries to implement CSE, stemming from the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Commitment endorsed in 2013. This commitment was reaffirmed in 2016 with the “Let’s Step Up and Deliver” document, demonstrating a continued focus on improving access to CSE and related services for young people.
Machawira notes progress in incorporating CSE into school curricula and linking education with available services. However, challenges remain in ensuring the quality of these programs and the accessibility of services for young people.
The partnership has shifted its focus to reducing early and unintended pregnancies, a key target within the ESA Commitment. Research indicates that poor, rural, and uneducated young girls are disproportionately affected by this issue. Despite the existence of re-entry policies, less than 5% of girls who become pregnant return to school, highlighting the barriers they face.
The campaign aims to address the stigma associated with pregnancy, advocating for support systems that enable young mothers to continue their education. The Church of Sweden is specifically invited to collaborate on this initiative, leveraging its influence to shift community perspectives and provide support.
Machawira acknowledges that teenage pregnancy often signals a systemic failure. While preventing early and unintended pregnancies is paramount, she emphasizes the importance of respecting the rights of young mothers to continue their education and providing the necessary support for them to do so. This approach combines a preventative strategy with a commitment to supporting those who experience unintended pregnancy.
