Fostering Gender and Critical Thinking Content of School-Based Sexuality Education for Advancing Sexual Health and Rights
A recent nationally representative survey in Nigeria shows that sexual and reproductive health challenges such as sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancies and sexual abuse remain widely prevalent. As in other parts of the world, indicators of sexual health and rights are rooted in social values, which in the case of Nigeria, are largely patriarchal. Recent studies have shown that emphasising gender alongside management of power dynamics, and knowledge of rights in programmes aimed at effecting change reduces negative reproductive health outcomes. This is because this approach addresses the value system that underlies the problem of poor reproductive health and rights outcomes.
This study, presents baseline findings that suggest that learners are still raised in a value system that approves of gender inequality in human rights and participation in decision-making in the domestic sphere; and approve of traditional gender roles. An explanation for these observations is the general tendency in participants’ actions to derive more from tradition than rationality. This is the basis for a revision of the handbook for the Family Life and HIV Education (FLHE) (school-based Sexuality Education in Nigeria) that seeks to strengthen gender contents and build critical thinking capacity. This study seeks to document evidence of traditional values in students exposed to FLHE in schools in Lagos state.
Methods: The study employed mixed methods, involving focus groups, in-depth interviews and knowledge and attitude assessment survey
Results: This study, presents baseline findings that suggest that learners are still raised in a value system that approves of gender inequality in human rights and participation in decision-making in the domestic sphere; and approve of traditional gender roles. An explanation for these observations is the general tendency in participants’ actions to derive more from tradition than rationality.
Conclusion: This is the basis for a revision of the handbook – FLHE – school-based sexuality education in Nigeria, which seeks to strengthen gender contents and build critical thinking capacity. The project anticipates more positive views on gender equality and greater critical thinking capacity, to the end that more favourable sexual health and rights outcomes will be observed in the future.
