AUGUST 17 — We applaud and are in full support of YAB Deputy Prime Minister's statement regarding sex education curbing child marriages, as a long-time advocate for youth and adolescents sexual and reproductive health awareness through both our Reproductive Health of Adolescents (RHAM) and Life’'s Journey Modules, in our course of engaging with children over the years, we found they faced many personal issues and not knowing who to consult and where to go because of existing stigma and barriers. Even if questions are raised they would dismissed as trivial.
The Department of Statistics Malaysia calculated adolescents and children aged 14 and below consisted of 24% of the population, 7.71 million, which iIs a pretty significant number. They continue to make the transition to adulthood, coupled with inadequate information, will have a negative impact on their physical, social, emotional and mental health, well-being, and development.
Many studies have shown that sex education, or Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) enables adolescents and young people to engage on accurate, age-appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills that contribute to safe, healthy positive relationships, with their family, peers, other adults and their communities.
Based on the country’s commitment to the 2030 Development Agenda, we will continue to engage with the Government, to ensure that CSE as per UNESCO’s guidelines are offered to in- school and out-of-school adolescents and young people. Our agenda stands very much with that of the SDGs where no one must not be left behind in our push for progress.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail
