"With comprehensive sexuality education, we prepare adolescents and young people for a more peaceful future by giving them the tools to better manage their romantic, family, and social relationships."
What is the role of Alliance Droits et Santé in advocating for sexuality education in Côte d'Ivoire?
We are heavily involved in several projects. Since 2018, as part of Educasso, a project coordinated by the NGO RAES and implemented in Côte d'Ivoire by the NGO MESSI and the Association of Women Lawyers, we have been working to strengthen the integration of sexuality education into school curricula. In this context, the Alliance's regional communication campaign #JeVeuxSavoir (I Want to Know) supports this dynamic by mobilizing other actors around our political demands.
What are the main achievements of this advocacy effort?
Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is subject to numerous prejudices, even more so in religious circles. Religious and traditional authorities may be reluctant to include it in school curricula. These positions are often due to a lack of information about what CSE really entails. As part of our information and awareness-raising activities, we have successfully initiated meetings with the leaders of Christian and Muslim religious organizations. We were able to question their preconceptions and share research data. With the support of UNESCO, we also communicated the Ivorian government's guidelines on the content of this topic and its priorities. All participants recognized the need for ECS in both school and family settings. Moreover, this organization is now involved in the development of ECS and, with the support of partners, is developing a guide on parent-child communication strategies regarding sexuality in religious settings.
How does your collaboration with Equipop work?
Equipop's support has had a positive impact on our advocacy strategy. Members of Alliance Droits et Santé, as well as other actors involved in this work, benefited from advocacy training led by Equipop. This collective work enabled us to define a common advocacy plan for better integration of ECS into school curricula. Equipop then helped us define our advocacy objectives. The priority was to integrate ECS into initial teacher training. Equipop also helped us formulate messages aimed at priority targets—including the Minister of Health, the Minister of Education, and the Minister for Women—which we also disseminated via social media.
