A snapshot on the Global Partnership Forum on Comprehensive sexuality education
The Global Partnership Forum on comprehensive sexuality education (or CSE) was launched in 2021 and counts over 70 cross-sector Organizations, across five continents, coming together in solidarity to promote, progress and protect CSE as an educational foundation to healthy, happy and thriving lives and societies.
Co-convened by UNESCO and UNFPA with support from the governments of Norway and Sweden, the Forum provides a structured platform for strengthened collaboration, the sharing of information and good practices, identifying gaps in research, enhancing youth leadership, and informing evidence-based policies and programmes.
How does the Global Partnership Forum on CSE work and with whom?
The Global Partnership Forum on CSE brings together a community of partners from a broad spectrum of experiences, beliefs, geographies and industries, and our shared values for progress, health, development, prosperity and the future.
It is a collective effort. Members of the Global Partnership Forum are working together to make evidence-based, age-appropriate CSE a reality for all children and young people across the world. Members include UN agencies, international civil society organizations working in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights, youth-led organizations, research and academic institutions, digital specialists and education related experts, alongside other professional networks with an interest in promoting CSE. It also works alongside parents, families, health care providers, faith and community leaders and governments to benefit the child.
How is CSE relevant to the global education agenda?
CSE is part of the solution to transforming education and advancing gender equality. There is growing recognition of the inter-relationship between education, health and well-being and we know that healthy and happy learners learn better. When delivered well, CSE empowers learners and young people to know their rights, make healthy choices, stay in school remain safe and flourish.
CSE directly contributes to the education, health and gender equality Sustainable Development Goals by playing a key role in addressing factors that contribute to school dropout and helping to delay sexual debut, decrease HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, reduce early and unintended pregnancies and enhance gender equitable attitudes.
Why do we need a Global Partnership Forum on CSE?
Despite promising government commitments to delivering CSE, there are still a number of challenges to full implementation in many parts of the world. These include: a lack of adequate teacher training; curricula that are not addressing key topics or that start too late; lack of prioritization within the school system; and negative public attitudes due to misconceptions, misinformation and disinformation about CSE.
More and more countries are working to implement and scale up CSE and young people are demanding access to it. There is a need to build on this growing momentum and strengthen coordination amongst Forum members to improve both access to and quality of CSE. The Forum acts in solidarity and for progress to address these challenges and share knowledge and evidence of good practice and impact.
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