We only use your email address to send you the newsletter and to see how many people are opening our emails. A full privacy policy can be viewed here. You can change your mind at any time and update your preferences or unsubscribe.

Adolescent mother with her friend and baby, Oromia region, Ethiopia © Nathalie Bertrams/GAGE 2023

Comprehensive sexuality education for the most disadvantaged young people: findings from formative research in Ethiopia

06.04.23 | Ethiopia

Bodily integrity | Education | Gender-based violence | Health, Nutrition and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH)

Authors

Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) seeks to improve young people’s knowledge, attitudes and practices in relation to sexual and reproductive health, sexual and social relationships, and dignity and rights. In Ethiopia, young people with disabilities and young women involved in sex work are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence and poor sexual health, yet face stigma and accessibility challenges that continue to exclude them from information, support and services. Because they are often out of school, these groups are also often excluded from programmes that are largely delivered in school settings. This paper explores the challenges faced by these groups of young people in accessing inclusive and age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health knowledge and services in the Ethiopian context and the implications for delivering CSE. The research included literature review, mapping analysis and interviews with young people from those two groups and with service providers and programme implementers. Our findings indicate that young people with disabilities and young women involved in sex work face myriad barriers to accessing information and services that support positive and healthy sexuality, relationships and rights. However, changes over the past decade to national and regional governance structures and a political environment in which CSE has become increasingly contested have generated siloed approaches to the provision of sexual and reproductive health information and services, and poor linkages to complementary services including violence prevention and social protection. It is vital that efforts to implement comprehensive sexuality education are informed by these challenges in the wider policy environment.

Suggested citation

Pincock, K., Yadete, W., Girma, D. and Jones, N. (2023) ‘Comprehensive sexuality education for the most disadvantaged young people: findings from formative research in Ethiopia’, Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, 31:2, (DOI: 10.1080/26410397.2023.2195140)


Related publications

Journal articles
11.03.19
Adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Ethiopia and Rwanda: a qualitative exploration of the role of social norms
Health, Nutrition and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH)
Ethiopia | Rwanda
Read more
11.03.19 | Health, Nutrition and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) | Journal articles | Ethiopia
Adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Ethiopia and Rwanda: a qualitative exploration of the role of social norms
Read more
Reports
21.05.19
Adolescent well-being in Ethiopia: exploring gendered capabilities, contexts and change strategies
Education and learning
Ethiopia
Read more
21.05.19 | Education and learning | Reports | Ethiopia
Adolescent well-being in Ethiopia: exploring gendered capabilities, contexts and change strategies
Read more
Journal articles
14.07.22
Improving Menstrual Health Literacy Through Life-Skills Programming in Rural Ethiopia
Health, Nutrition and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH)
Ethiopia
Read more
14.07.22 | Health, Nutrition and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) | Journal articles | Ethiopia
Improving Menstrual Health Literacy Through Life-Skills Programming in Rural Ethiopia
Read more