I SexAFIN virtual international congress
(Re)thinking comprehensive sexual education from a gender perspective focused on childhood
July 13-15, 2022
Three-day conference with presentations, round tables and communications
- With simultaneous translation in both languages
- In English and Spanish
- Accessible and inclusive congress (if you have accessibility requests, write to us at pr.sex.afin@uab.cat)
Why is it necessary to rethink comprehensive sexual education?
Between 2010 and 2019, 134 cases of gang rape have been reported in Spain (Martínez, 2019). The reaction of the population to these events has opened the public debate on the need to incorporate comprehensive sexual education in educational centers as a tool for preventing sexual violence and sexist behavior (Alías, 2018; Martínez, 2019), putting a long-standing problem on the political agenda.
The sensitivity of the subject and the representation of childhood as asexual and innocent (Blasie, 2009, 2013; Davies & Robinson, 2010; Egan & Hawkes, 2008; Frankham, 2006; Holford, Emma, & Huuki, 2013; Moore & Reynolds, 2018; Renold, 2005) has meant that, despite the recommendation of various international (UNESCO, 2009; WHO Regional Office for Europe & Federal Centre for Health Education, 2010) and national (Organic Law 2/2010) organisations, the Spanish education law in force until the end of 2020 (Organic Law 8/2013) does not include sexual education in primary schools. On December 29, 2020, the Spanish socialist government approved a new educational law (Organic Law 3/2020) that incorporates sex education in a transversal way in primary schools in health education. The law is in a very initial state – its full implementation is expected to be in 2024 – so the new educational curricula have not yet been developed nor has it been specified how teacher training will be developed. However, this legislative change provides an optimal framework for reflecting on what sex education we want to offer to children.
The results of the research carried out by the AFIN-UAB Group on sexual education in the educational communities of primary schools within the SexAFIN project, carried out between 2017 and 2021 with the participation of 1,800 girls and boys from seven primary schools in different municipalities in the province of Barcelona and 150 girls and boys from 2 centres in Ciudad Juárez (Mexico), coincide with international research (Bhana, 2013) in suggesting that large gender power asymmetries develop around sexuality, so that in order to promote equity it is necessary to educate in sexuality. For this reason, this congress, framed in a scientific knowledge transfer project carried out by the AFIN Research Group of the Autonomous University of Barcelona and financed by the National Institute for Women, Spanish Ministry of Equality, aims to contribute to the development of equality education through comprehensive sexual education. The programme will facilitate the exchange of research results and interdisciplinary perspectives, while allowing us to (re)think the sexual education we offer from a gender perspective focused on childhood.
Speakers
Raeywen Connell
Louisa Allen
Deevia Bhana
Lucas Platero
Cory Silverberg
Begonya Enguix
Camino Baró
Carlos de la Cruz
val flores
Teo Pardo
Maria González
Miguel Ángel López
Ingrid Agud
Valeria Breull
Diana Marre
María Fernanda Peraza
Joyce Harper
Avril Louise Clarke