The UNFPA rolls out their plans for a Family Life Education (FLE) implementation workshop for comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) starting on Monday.

Two specialists will fly in from Australia to help with the consultation and delivery of the FLE course in Samoa. This will take place from 26–28 June 2023 as part of their effort to equip youth advocates in the Pacific with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to deliver this content.

FLE is an important early intervention strategy and according to UNESCO’s International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education (ITGSE) It plays a central role in the preparation of young people for a safe, productive, fulfilling life. 

“It is a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social aspects of sexuality.” As described in UNESCO’s ITGSE.

It aims to equip children and young people with knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that will empower them to realize their health, well-being, and dignity as well as develop respectful social and sexual relationships.

The workshop will consider how their choices affect their own well-being and that of others and educate them to understand and ensure the protection of their rights throughout their lives.

The Transformative Agenda (TA) for women, adolescents and youth in the Pacific supports the improved realization of their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) improving the content and delivery of FLE in an out-of-school (OOS) environment.

In the initial project design, member associations (MAs) with the support of IPPF were tasked with rolling out facilitator training and implementation at a community level.

These sessions took place online in October and November 2021 in Vanuatu, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands. Previous feedback following their initial training and roll-out activity highlighted the need to alter the project design which will be delivered in the coming week. 

Rather than continuing training and rollout, there was a need for deeper consultations with future trainers and detailed implementation planning. Moving forward, the goal is to better understand the training and implementation support needed in each country before further customizing courses and providing technical assistance.