With the recent rise in rape cases, we are led to believe that Sex Education is the ultimate need of the hour. Protests and marches are one way of showing concern. However, the bottom line is that they often do nothing to help the situation. Many schools have already adopted sex education as part of their curriculum, which is great, because Sex Education is necessary for everyone, young and old, no matter whom they are. In a country like India, with a population too large for our land to bear, we have to ask ourselves – has sex education trickled down even to the most remote villages?
The simple answer is, no. Educated and privileged children in private schools often, at the bare minimum, have a seminar or a lecture on sex education, which is nowhere close to enough – but it’s a start. Some progressive private schools often have sex education as a subject for a year. However, in villages, or government-run public institutions, sex education is invisible.
Unfortunately, in India, there is a high degree of misogyny present. One of the main reasons for this is a simple lack of awareness. Concepts like Family planning and the use of contraceptives are unfamiliar. Moreover, sex is a taboo and is treated as something to be dealt with only behind closed doors. This is one of the main reasons why sensitive topics like consent and rape are often tabled, and absurd myths are believed in. Women are often not aware of their own rights and the concept of consent is unclear. STI’s are unheard of, because of which many women die painful deaths every year. Of course, these deaths are later claimed to be ‘the work of a devil.’
Sex Education makes women and men consciously aware of how to safely deal with menstruation, and why it is not ‘unclean’ or ‘unholy.’ It aims at making sex less of a taboo and helping people realize that talking about sex is important and necessary. Families need to be educated on the dangers of early marriage and pregnancies with almost no gap. Young children, especially, need to know about ‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch’
Lastly, sex education is important to erase misconceptions about the LGBTQ community. Often, homosexuals and transgender people are mistreated and ostracized from society. Moreover, violence faced by women and the LGBTQ community is deemed normal. Sex education aims at changing this mindset.
Talking about sex in a country where everyone pretends to not know what sex is can be uncomfortable, to say the least. Often, it is not received well. However, with a population exceeding billions and the safety of women gradually declining, it is what needs to be done.
Already, several NGO’s and driven students are helping to change the current situation. Nevertheless, until the rape cases subside, none of us should feel truly content with the way things are. On your part, you can help make the world a better place. Given below is a list of NGO’s that educate men and women on sex, and everything related to it. Join on, and help save the world, one woman at a time.
