BREAKING TABOOS: THE CASE FOR INTEGRATING COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION INTO UNIVERSITY CURRICULA IN PAKISTAN, AN OPINION PAPER
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Abstract
Pakistan, home to over 220 million people, has one of the largest youth populations globally, with approximately 64% under the age of 30. A significant portion of this youth is enrolled in universities and higher education institutions. Yet, despite this demographic dividend, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) remain taboo in public discourse and virtually absent from educational policy particularly at the university level. In a country grappling with high maternal mortality, increasing rates of unsafe abortions, early marriages, sexual violence, and gender inequality, the exclusion of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) from curricula is both a public health oversight and a human rights failure. This opinion paper argues that integrating CSE into university curricula in Pakistan is not only justified but urgently required to empower students, improve public health, and uphold international and national commitments to SRHR.
References
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Ghulam Fatima
Principal, Sughra Khanum School Of Nursing And Health Sciences.
Ayesha Shahzadi
lecturer, Kamal Institute Of Medical Sciences.