Coalition urges Reps to review sexual education, reproductive health policies
By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja
A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs), led by the Centre for African Policy Research and Advisory (CAFPRA), has called on the National Assembly to review policies and educational programmes relating to sexuality education and reproductive health.
The coalition, at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, expressed concern over what it described as the growing influence of foreign interests in policies and programmes relating to children’s sexuality, gender and overall development.
The groups urged lawmakers to scrutinise bills, policy documents and educational materials dealing with sexuality education, particularly those targeted at children.
Executive Director of CAFPRA, Dr Segun Adebayo, said policies affecting Nigerian children should reflect the country’s social and cultural realities and should not be adopted without adequate consultation with parents, educators, civil society groups and other stakeholders.
“We are dedicated to policies of the land, to be sure that the policies of government in Africa are consistent with the realities of Africa,” Adebayo said.
He alleged that some international organisations and foreign interests were attempting to influence public opinion in African countries in support of policy frameworks relating to sexuality, gender and reproductive health.
Also speaking, human rights lawyer and public affairs analyst with CAFPRA, Sonnie Ekwowusi, said public opinion had become an important factor in determining whether controversial policy proposals would eventually gain legislative acceptance.
“Public opinion change is currently where they are going, because if public opinion does not change, it will never be passed as a law,” he said.
Ekwowusi disclosed that the organisation had written to the Presidency and leadership of the National Assembly to express its concerns.
He said CAFPRA also planned to engage relevant legislative committees and distribute its policy recommendations to lawmakers.
A policy researcher and media personality with the organisation, Gold Boms, said CAFPRA was reviewing legislative proposals and government policies to determine whether they aligned with Nigeria’s social and cultural realities.
“We are making sure that all the bills being passed, we are looking at them and saying, look, this is not aligned with our social reality,” Boms said.
The coalition also called for closer scrutiny of sexuality education materials used in schools, particularly content targeted at children and vulnerable communities.
Chris Yama, another speaker at the briefing, described the issue as an important national conversation because of its potential implications for children and families.
“It is a very important conversation. It is on a topic that affects your children and your grandchildren. It is comprehensive sexuality education,” Yama said.
He argued that the debate went beyond conventional health education, requiring greater public understanding of concepts associated with comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Yama specifically raised questions about terms such as “bodily autonomy”, “sexual rights” and “gender identity”, urging lawmakers and members of the public to examine how such concepts were defined and incorporated into policies and educational materials.
A child rights advocate with InnerCity Missions for Children, Jane Chukwu, said her organisation’s work with vulnerable children had heightened its concerns about the type of information children were exposed to.
“We are a solution-based organisation. We don’t theorise about child protection. We believe it is every day; our team walks to the streets of Nigerian cities. We pick up children who already lost what today’s briefing is talking about,” Chukwu said.
She disclosed that the organisation was establishing a free school in Abuja for children from vulnerable backgrounds, while also implementing educational and vocational programmes to support young people.
The speakers referred to developments in countries including Liberia and Zimbabwe, alleging that similar policy initiatives had received external support. They urged Nigerian lawmakers to scrutinise the origins, funding and implementation of programmes introduced in the country.
However, the claims regarding specific foreign organisations, funding arrangements and the alleged content of some educational materials were not independently substantiated during the briefing.
CAFPRA said its broader objective was to encourage African governments to formulate policies based on their respective social and cultural realities.
Adebayo also disclosed plans by the organisation to present an African charter on family values and sovereignty to the National Assembly, which he said could provide an additional framework for protecting national policy interests.
“We are going to bring that charter to our National Assembly,” he said.
The coalition urged lawmakers to subject policies affecting children and education to wider public scrutiny before adoption.
It also called on the media to investigate the origins, funding and implementation of programmes relating to sexuality education and reproductive health.
CAFPRA said it would continue engaging the National Assembly and other relevant institutions on policies affecting Nigerian children.
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