Towards ensuring effective interventions and creating better access related to adolescent sexual reproductive health (ASRH), a conference among relevant stakeholders was held in Paro.
The two-day conference on Adolescent Sexuality and Wellbeing in the 21st Century was also aimed to stimulate the International Conference of Population and Development (ICPD) that took place in Cairo in 1994.
It was then in 1994, that 179 countries established the right to sexual and reproductive health and recognised the importance of addressing the needs of young people.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) today is working in 150 countries to ensure safe childbirth and curb unwanted pregnancies.
“We have set our sights on achieving three transformative results by 2030, Zero unmet demand for contraception, Zero preventable maternal deaths and Zero gender-based violence, all based on high-quality data to make the invisible visible and leave no one behind,” the UNFPA’s Executive Director Dr Natalia Kanem, said.
25 years after ICPD in Cairo, today Bhutan has reached 65.5% prevalence of contraception and decided to include Comprehensive Sexuality Education in the curriculum in schools.
At the conference, the Paro College of Education launched its second edition of Comprehensive Sexuality Education Facilitator’s Manual which will help trainees understand their bodies, make informed choices about their reproductive lives and further impart the knowledge in schools as teachers. The facilitator’s manual was first published in 2010.
“We equip them not just with the knowledge but how to deliver this content to young people. What is new about this book is we have included emerging issues like mental health, social media and laws related to sexual health, sexual assault, violence and also included helplines,” Ugyen Tshomo, an Assitant Professor at Paro College of Education, said.
At the conference, the stakeholders discussed the current and emerging issues related to ASRH.
“We have been noticing that each agency have their own goals and seems to work towards creating a safer environment for young people. But then the dialogue between these agencies seems to be very limited. So through this conference, we are hoping that all people come together and not to duplicate but to compliment each other’s work,” Ugyen Tshomo added.
The conference was organised by Paro College of Education in collaboration with the Department of Youths and Sports under the Education Ministry and UNFPA.
Sangay Chezom
