Description
The project’s objective is to promote the sexual rights of teens through implementation of mandatory human rights based Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in middle schools in Cyprus. Challenges to implementation of CSE have consistently led to failure of the subject to be taught adequately, especially from a human rights perspective. Reasons for these challenges include inadequate teacher training on sexuality, therefore, through the project, a teachers’ Manual for delivering CSE, including teaching material, based on actual needs of students and teachers will be developed, pilot tested, published and circulated to every middle school in Cyprus. Beneficiaries are both teachers, who will become equipped to teach CSE in class, and teens, who will be able to develop their skills and acquire knowledge around sexual health and rights. Our strong Consortium is coordinated by the Cyprus Family Planning Association in partnership with the Commissioner of Children’s Rights, the Pedagogical Institute Cyprus, the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies and the Norwegian Association for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
Summary of project results
The outstanding collaboration between CFPA and its partners, civil society, government and independent authority was one of the main reasons that the project has met all its targets in terms of outcomes successfully. In addition to that, the active involvement of the children and the teachers throughout the project and addressing their needs as they arise in the Cyprus context ensured the positive outcomes and added to the advancement of young people’s sexual rights. The children were empowered through the training by gaining understanding of their sexual rights and the teachers trained have enhanced their effectiveness to deliver sexuality education. One of the project’s major achievements was the development of the Teacher’s Manual for delivering Comprehensive Sexuality Education (MCSE) based on human rights approach. The human rights based approach does not merely aim to impart knowledge, but to give the tools for active citizenship and agency to each young person, which are cornerstones for democracy. The development of the manual was a very long, hardworking, challenging and demanding process for all. The data gathered through the focus group discussions with the students and the teachers (Focus Group Reports) and the Situation Analysis on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) of Adolescents in Cyprus, as outcomes of the project, have added to the current knowledge regarding the situation and needs of young people in relation to sexuality and gender and will guide not only the design of sexuality education programs, but also contribute to the improvement of public health legislation and sexual health services. During this project’s duration certain changes in legislation and policy were implemented, for example, legislation was passed mandating the Ministry of Education to provide education for sexual violence prevention, the Lanzarote Convention was ratified, and certain procedures at the Ministry of Education were adopted. Throughout the project a lot of publicity was given to sexual rights of children and young people and their needs regarding sexual health giving the opportunity to the general public and other stakeholders including decision makers to be aware on the importance of sexual rights for children and young people.
Summary of bilateral results
The needs of the project, the active participation and close collaboration in joint activities with Sex og Politikk as a partner throughout the project, definitely contributed and contributes to the strengthening of bilateral relations. Throughout the project, the organizations have developed and established a promising relationship due to the fact that they communicated regularly throughout this period of time, sharing their experiences, expertise and challenges in the field. Both countries face a common situation related to sexuality education; is defined in the school curriculum thus the priority for both countries is dealing with challenges of implementation on the one hand, and safeguarding quality on the other hand by ensuring that sexuality education is comprehensive. SoP however, has had much more experience with challenges of implementation and quality, since inclusion of sexuality education in the school curriculum in Cyprus occurred in 2010. There are certain areas of expertise that SoP has acquired that are of particular interest to the Cyprus context, which have been used and can be used in future collaborations.