Lifestyle OP-ED 

Are civil societies and human rights agencies helping the EU sexualize ACP youth?

By Janet Karim

‘If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung round their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! – Matthew 18:6-7

Apart from attempting to steal the sovereignty of the 79 African, Caribbean, and Pacific member states of the new ACP-EU Agreement, the European Union is using local civil society and human rights organizations in sexualizing the youth of the three regions. As with the bait being used to make the ACPs give up their voting rights by using money as the incentive, the non-governmental organizations are being heaped with bucketloads of money to advance foreign ideals and values. Again, the strategy is to put human rights in front of a value, and the attempt is made to make the ACP nation states bow down to the foreign value systems.

One foreign and abhorrent value system is the introduction of harmful comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) to very young children. According to research, there are 15 very harmful elements that are in CSE curricula. All of these have the potential to cause long-term negative effects on the health and well-being of children, and inherently society. Despite this, many civil society and human rights organizations are advancing these and presenting them in local schools. All this is done in exchange for the financing of their organizations. These brief case human rights and civil society organizations are short-changing the hard-won freedoms of the ACPs.

Fifteen harmful CSE elements

1. SEXUALIZES CHILDREN. Normalizes child sex or desensitizes children to sexual things. May give examples of children having sex or imply many of their peers are sexually active; glamorize sex, use graphic materials, teach explicit sexual vocabulary, or encourage discussion of sexual experiences, attractions, fantasies, or desires.

 2. TEACHES CHILDREN TO CONSENT TO SEX. May teach children how to negotiate sexual encounters or how to ask for or get “consent” from other children to engage in sexual acts with them. Why are children being encouraged to get “Consent” when with adults it is under the banner of sexual abuse prevention?

3. NORMALIZES ANAL & ORAL SEX, which are high-risk sexual behaviors & may omit vital medical facts, such as the extremely high STI infection rates (i.e., HIV and HPV).

4. PROMOTES HOMOSEXUAL / BISEXUAL BEHAVIOR, normalizing, promoting acceptance, or exploring diverse sexual orientations, sometimes in violation of national education laws. May omit vital health information and/or may provide medically inaccurate information about homosexuality or homosexual sex.

5. PROMOTES SEXUAL PLEASURE. Instructs children they are entitled to or have a “right” to sexual pleasure or encourages children to seek out sexual pleasure. Fails to present data on the multiple negative potential outcomes for sexually active children.

6. PROMOTES SOLO &/OR MUTUAL MASTURBATION. While masturbation can be part of normal child development, encourages masturbation at young ages, which may make children more vulnerable to pornography use, sexual addictions, or sexual exploitation. May instruct children on how to masturbate. May also encourage children to engage in mutual masturbation.

7. PROMOTES CONDOM USE IN INAPPROPRIATE WAYS. May inappropriately eroticize condom use (e.g., emphasizing sexual pleasure or “fun” with condoms) or use sexually explicit methods (i.e., penis and vagina models, seductive role plays, etc.) to promote condom use to children. May provide medically inaccurate information on condom effectiveness & omit or deemphasize failure rates.

8. PROMOTES EARLY SEXUAL AUTONOMY. Instructs children they can choose to have sex when they feel they are ready or when they find a trusted partner. Fails to provide data about the well-documented negative consequences of early sexual debut. Fails to encourage sexually active children to return to abstinence.

9. FAILS TO ESTABLISH ABSTINENCE AS THE EXPECTED STANDARD for all school-age children. May mention abstinence only in passing. May teach children that all sexual activity—other than “unprotected” vaginal and oral sex—is acceptable, and even healthy.

10. PROMOTES TRANSGENDER IDEOLOGY. Promotes affirmation of and/or exploration of diverse gender identities. May instruct children they can change their gender or identify as multiple genders or may present other unscientific and medically inaccurate theories.

11. PROMOTES CONTRACEPTION / ABORTION TO CHILDREN. Presents abortion as a safe or positive option while omitting data on the many potential negative physical & mental health consequences. May instruct children they have a right to abortion and refer them to abortion providers.

12. PROMOTES PEER-TO-PEER SEX ED OR SEXUAL RIGHTS ADVOCACY. May train children to instruct other children about sex or sexual pleasure, through peer-to-peer initiatives. May recruit children as spokespeople to advocate for controversial sexual rights (including a right to CSE itself) or to promote abortion.

13. UNDERMINES TRADITIONAL VALUES & BELIEFS. May encourage children to question their parents’ beliefs,  and their cultural, or religious values regarding early sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

14. UNDERMINES PARENTS OR PARENTAL RIGHTS. May instruct children they have rights to confidentiality & privacy from their parents. May instruct children about accessing sexual commodities or services, including abortion, without parental consent. May instruct children not to tell their parents what they are being taught about sex in school.

15. REFERS CHILDREN TO HARMFUL RESOURCES such as harmful websites, materials, or outside entities. May also specifically refer children to abortion organizations or their affiliates or partners for their lucrative services or commodities (such as sexual counseling, condoms, contraceptives, gender hormones, STI testing & treatment, abortions, etc.).

 ACP member states must take note that there is a conflict of interest whenever an entity that profits from sexualizing children engages in creating or implementing sex education programs. (Captured from https://alexwesigye.blogspot.com/2021/03/comprehensive-sexuality-education.html?m=1 on August 3, 2022)

CIVIL SOCIETY & HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS, PLEASE SAY NO TO CSE IN THE ACP COUNTRIES!

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