AIDWA is deeply critical of the Health Minister, Dr. Harshvardhan’s statement calling for a ban on sex education in schools. Despite his later prevarication, wherein he explains that he is not against sex education per se, but only against its so called “vulgarity”, he has exposed a conservative and medieval mindset that undermines the rights of adolescents in this country to learn about their bodies, know more about their own sexual urges, and its outcomes, in scientific terms.
The statements are profoundly worrying because the statement by a senior doctor, who is also the Health Minister in the BJP Government, reflects the culture of hypocrisy that is leading to many forms of violence against girls in our country. For instance, a huge burden is being placed on girls who are still being married off early in many regions of our nation. In most hindi speaking states, child marriage rates are unacceptably high, touching almost 50% of marriages. It is an inescapable reality that we have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. And abortions contribute about 12 per cent to these deaths. Additionally, an estimated 6 million illegal abortions are conducted in India every year, primarily among the poor. If we want to reduce these deaths, we must act on a number of fronts, including sex education, which would, hopefully, empower women to make choices and say no to unprotected, forced, and undesirable sexual behaviors.
Moreover, as the age of marriage gets rightfully pushed back, it becomes even more important for adolescents to make informed decisions about their relationships with persons of the opposite sex. Depriving them of sex education provided in schools would only push them into accessing information from the net, or other sources without discrimination. Currently, a large section of teenagers are quite susceptible to the often distorted, anti women messages projected through the media. Indeed, sex education including education on sexuality must be seen as one part of the larger struggle for equality and against gender discrimination in society. It is essential to inculcate values of sharing and togetherness among boys and girls. This will be a small step towards addressing the incidence of violence against women, especially within homes, but also outside homes.
We condemn the Health Minister’s statements unequivocally and urge him to adopt a progressive and rational approach to the issue. Like most males who speak from a conservative ideology, he is obviously ignorant of issues of gender and patriarchy in the real world. The Government needs to intervene not to "ban" sex education but to facilitate preparation of an effective syllabus and adequate text books as well as ensure sensitization of teachers and guardians. The government must commit itself to universalising sex education in schools.
