By SILUMESI MALUMO
A CONSORTIUM of civil society organizations and civil rights activists have insisted on wide consultation with stakeholders to review the comprehensive sexuality education framework.
Meanwhile, the process of constituting a technical committee to review the contents of the comprehensive sexuality education has commenced, SAFAID country representative, Gastone Zulu has said.
In welcoming government decision to initiate wide consultation with key stakeholders to review the comprehensive sexuality education framework, the group said they were ready to help.
Last week, Vice President Inonge Wina in Parliament said that government will initiate a wide consultation to review the CSE framework.
The consortium said this would enable key stakeholders an opportunity of reflection and respond to the current mode of CSE in the country.
The civil society organisation are Centre for Reproductive Health and Education, SAFAID, The Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia, SAT, REPSSI, Africa Direction, and Plan International.
Others are HIVOS, ZANEC, Media Network on Child Rights and Development, Sports in Action NGOCC, and TALC.
The consortium said in a statement the consultation process would also enable key stakeholders to identify contentious issues if any in the current CSE curriculum that may need to be addressed.
“We remain resolute to complimenting government efforts in rolling out programmes such as CSE that contribute to progressively realizing rights of children to education and health in pursuant of the vision 2030 and regional commitments as well as related SDGS.
We are committed to support the consultation process to be undertaken by the Ministry of General Education in the ways that are possible and feasible.
“We further take note of various sentiments by several civil society organisations more particularly by the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia urging Members of Parliament to vote for the suspension of the CSE pending consultations,” part of the statement said.
The consortium said that, “We are greatly disturbed by this position from our colleagues. They are merely a civil society organisation with peculiar interest as well as we do. The consortium said suspending CSE would have far reaching repercussions and would reverse hard fought gains that had been achieved especially over the last seven years under the leadership of President Edgar Lungu.
LET’S TALK SEX
