In Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Senegal, 21 artists are rallying behind the #JeVeuxSavoir campaign to promote comprehensive sexuality education. Equipop supported its partner Alliance Droits et Santé in implementing this activity.
They are painters, photographers, sculptors, slam poets, illustrators, graffiti artists... and are committed to promoting, through their art, the importance of giving young people access to information about their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). These works will begin to be shared in a few days on the social media accounts of the #JeVeuxSavoir campaign.
Using art to break taboos
Art conveys messages, proposes ideas, and encourages reflection. When propriety or modesty are dangerous—because they deprive young people, both girls and boys, of crucial information about their sexual rights and health—art makes it possible to address topics that are otherwise silenced.
As part of the #JeVeuxSavoir campaign—led by Alliance Droits et Santé—volunteer artists were trained to deconstruct preconceived notions and break down taboos surrounding comprehensive sexuality education. Sensitive and often already committed to human rights, they took up the challenge of creating works aimed at educating, denouncing, opening debate, sharing, and encouraging young people, their parents, and politicians to reflect on issues related to educating young people about their SRHR.
Many topics will be covered, from contraception to teenage pregnancy, sexual consent, menstruation, and puberty. Through music, graphic arts, humor, and poetry, these 21 artists will move us, entertain us, and perhaps even shock us. But above all, they will inform us and help raise awareness among all of us about the need for young people to learn more about their own bodies, emotional and sexual relationships, and their rights and those of their peers.
See you at the end of July 2020 on the social media channels of the #JeVeuxSavoir campaign and theAlliance Droits et Santéwebsite to discover their creations!
The #IWantToKnow campaign
Launched in March 2020,the #JeVeuxSavoir campaignaims to encourage the creation of spaces for citizen and political dialogue on Comprehensive Sexuality Education. To achieve this, a broad political and social mobilization effort is being carried out via social media, the media, and mobilizing and artistic events.
Access to reliable information about their sexual and reproductive rights and health is key to reducing unwanted pregnancies, HIV, and other STIs among young people. It also helps young people develop their ability to make informed decisions, communicate, manage risks, and foster respectful relationships. To implement comprehensive sexuality education, a clear and strong commitment from health and education authorities is necessary. These commitments will enable the development of programs that young people need in terms of sexual and reproductive health.
Find the campaign on social media:
Facebook:@JeVeuxSavoir2020
Twitter:@_JeVeuxSavoir
Instagram:@jeveuxsavoir_2020
