We, in GABRIELA, Gabriela Women’s Party and SALINLAHI Alliance for Children’s Concerns, are united in our stand that to educate children on reproductive health and sexuality is imperative. In these times when children are exposed everyday to myriad of information on sex in the television, internet and other mass media, it is past the time to ask if sex should be discussed in formal education. 

The values formation of the children is a concern of all institutions in the society. The family, academe, church, media, civil society and the government, are all responsible in teaching and molding the youth. Therefore, sex education in the classrooms does not necessarily filch the parents of their duty, nor excuse them of their responsibility. Instead, it affirms the state’s obligation to inform and educate the children on reproductive concerns, in support of parents especially those who may also not have the appropriate education and information to guide their children.

The baseless assumption that sex education in schools would make children “sex-obsessed” only proves that there is indeed a need for it. “Sex education” is stigmatized because the prevalent connotation on sex is that is “dirty”, “prohibited”, and “bastos”. Thus, appropriate education regarding the subject is necessary to help children sort out information that impresses in them misguided connotations pertaining to sex. 

Further, an appropriate sex education program will help children develop healthy and scientific concepts about their bodies and sexuality, even at a young age. This is an important foundation in protecting children from potential sexual abuse and exploitation. We have seen children who allowed perpetrators to touch their private body parts under the guise of “playing.” We have even seen children who innocently crossed the line of propriety in their games of exploring each other’s body parts and role playing what they see in the media of adults in compromising acts.

We would like to emphasize that whether in the formal or informal educational setting, sex education should be viewed in the context of the rights and welfare of children, especially girl children. Not only will it protect them from potential abuse and exploitation, but it is also an integral component of their comprehensive reproductive rights. We believe that teaching women at a young age on reproductive health and sexuality would aid them in avoiding unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and maternal death.

The Department of Education (DepEd)’s Memorandum No. 26, allowing the use of teaching modules on sex education, could be a positive step, granting that DepEd will conduct an intensive process of consultation with different stakeholders before full implementation. This will ensure that the program is not implemented mechanically, and all arguments are heard.  In our part, GABRIELA, Gabriela Women’s Party and SALINLAHI are willing to become part of the consultation process and share our extensive experience in gender and sexuality education with children and parents. 

Hopefully, from this pilot program we can draw important lessons to develop a more comprehensive gender and sexuality educational curriculum in the future. Children are never too young to know of their rights. And it’s never too early for all institutions in the society to work for the protection of their rights. 
 

(Sgd). Lana Linaban, GABRIELA secretary general

           Rep. Emmi de Jesus, Gabriela Women’s Party

           Sophia Garduce, SALINLAHI spokesperson