Talking freely about sexuality in Zambia

Various factors make young people vulnerable to HIV/AIDS: earlier puberty and later marriage, sexual and gender norms, sexual abuse, poverty, mixed messages about sexual behaviour and lack of condoms. Schools and communities in Zambia work together to build knowledge, values and skills and create positive peer pressure to help young people.

The International HIV/AIDS Alliance supports 'Young, Happy, Healthy and Safe' (YHHS), a Zambian non-governmental organisation, to implement a pilot project for improving young people's sexual and reproductive health and preventing HIV/AIDS.

Leaders, traditional counsellors, young people, teachers, health workers and parents came together with YHHS in 13 schools and their communities to analyse causes of vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and suggest strategies for reducing them.

Traditional counsellors compared their own lives as young people with the current generation and recognised how changes required them to adapt their teachings. Boys are now taught to avoid sexually arousing herbs, having sex with each other and coercing girls into having sex. They learn about HIV/AIDS, condoms, gender equality and women's right to sexual choice.

In the Chewa culture, girls who attain puberty learn to perform sexually and show such skills through erotic dances at graduation ceremonies. Pressure to practice sex, and abuse from the watching men puts the girls at risk.

Girls on attaining puberty, now learn about delaying sex by refusing sex and managing sexual urges through masturbation, and about using condoms when they start having sex. Prior to marriage, they learn about sexual performance, reducing HIV transmission risks in partners and babies and other sexual health issues.

Teachers, pupils aged 10 to 15 years, the parent-teacher association and Ministry of Education staff work with community leaders to create a safer sexual environment for children in and out of school. This includes sex education, life-skills lessons for teachers, pupils and parents. It also focuses on education and advocacy for cultural change and stopping sexual abuse, and liaison with police and leaders in charge of customary legal systems.

What has changed?

• Teachers, pupils and parents talk more openly about sexual life, to take better decisions and develop skills to resist rights violations.
• Pupils and parents report that there is less sexual harassment by school mates and teachers: pupils are able to assertively refuse sex and report abuse.
• Traditional leaders now advise teachers not to allow parents to marry off their girls early.
• Public dancing by girls has stopped in the communities where the project works.
• Teachers report a drop in the numbers of girls leaving school because of pregnancy.

What are the lessons?

• When communities and schools work together sex education becomes more relevant, coherent and effective for young people in and out of school.
• Trusted adults with knowledge of sexual health; clear boundaries for behaviour; life-skills and a supportive school and home environment are important.
• Sex education can enable young people to talk about sexual issues and gender in safer and non-stigmatising ways if initial lessons build trust and co-operation.
• Carefully managed single and mixed gender group learning activities can build positive peer pressure for more caring and equal gender relations.

Gill Gordon
International HIV/AIDS Alliance, 104-106, Queen's Road, Brighton, BN1 3XF, UK
T +44 (0)1273 718900
F +44 (0)1273 718901
ggordon@aidsalliance.org
www.aidsalliance.org

See also

Choices - a Guide for Young people, Macmillan Education, London, by Gill Gordon, 1999

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