There is an urgent call for comprehensive and age-appropriate sexual health education in schools. Nalini Singh, the executive director of the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, highlighted the concerning statistic that 1,000 teen mothers became pregnant each year from 2016 to 2019.
Singh remarked on the troubling trend of early sexual activity among young teenagers, questioning how society can better support them in making decisions that impact their futures. She emphasized the importance of teaching children about bodily autonomy, safe spaces, consent, and fostering respectful relationships.
Empowering women and girls with essential knowledge about their bodies is crucial, according to Singh. She warned that denying this education could worsen issues such as violence, teenage pregnancy, and poverty. She called for a shift away from considering sex as a taboo topic, as the current decisions made by adults prevent children from accessing vital information needed to make informed choices.
Furthermore, Singh urged for the inclusion of sexual health education in school curriculums, stating that the organization has consistently pushed for this through national budget proposals and discussions at young women-led and girl-led forums.
The findings from the report “Putting Data and Evidence into Action: An Intersectional Profile of Adolescent Pregnancy and Motherhood in Fiji” indicated that from 2016 to 2019, the annual adolescent fertility rate among iTaukei mothers increased from 30 to 38 births per 1,000, while it rose from 19 to 24 births per 1,000 among non-iTaukei mothers. Singh hopes that the publication of these alarming statistics will encourage stakeholders to reconsider the importance of incorporating comprehensive sexual education for the youth.