More to sexuality education

Participants pose with a photo of Phakkhaphon Iamcham, a 14-year-old Thai girl who is one of the subjects of the “Foundation for live and love” campaign, during the regional launch last year. — Photo courtesy of Unesco

Countries in the region increasingly acknowledge the importance of equipping young people with the knowledge, attitudes and skills to make responsible choices in their lives

PICTURE this. A nine-year-old in Malaysia, reading about a character named Amira in a school textbook, is told to take three steps to protect the “modesty of her genitals” and keep social ostracisation and family shame at bay. Imagine. The societal pressure, responsibility and burden on girls to conform. Imagine the victim blaming should they “fail” to do so.