A digital magazine on sexuality, based in the Global South: We are working towards cultivating safe, inclusive, and self-affirming spaces in which all individuals can express themselves without fear, judgement or shame
ये बड़ी विडंबना की बात है कि आज भी किशोरावस्था से गुज़र रहे लोगों से उनकी ‘हिफ़ाज़त’ के लिए ज़रूरी जानकारी छिपाई जाती है। ग़लत जानकारी और मिथकों का प्रचार बिना किसी रोकथाम के होता रहता है।
Fire served as a seminal piece of media in my life for that reason, not only because of its queer themes and normalisation of LGBTQ+ relationships but because of how it normalises the pursuit of pleasure as a fundamental part of us, and not something we should be ashamed of.
भारत जैसे देश में सेक्स जैसी चीज़ों के ज़रिए शारीरिक सुख का आनंद उठाने को लालच और कमज़ोरी के रूप में देखा जाता है। हमें आमतौर पर ये सिखाया जाता है कि सुख की तलाश महज़ फ़िज़ूल की ऐयाशी है जो हमें आत्मबोध तक पहुंचने से रोकती है, जिसकी वजह से हमें लुभावों से दूर रहना चाहिए।
बाल यौन शोषण रोकथाम पर शिक्षा को असरदार बनाने के लिए इसके साथ-साथ व्यापक यौनिकता शिक्षा ज़रूरी है। यौनिकता शिक्षा सिर्फ़ ‘सेक्स कैसे करते हैं?’ तक सीमित नहीं है। इसमें सम्मान के आधार पर बने रिश्तों, रज़ामंदी, यौनिक स्वास्थ्य, सुरक्षित संबंध बनाने के सुझावों, गर्भनिरोध, यौनिक रुझान, जेंडर मानदंडों, शारीरिक छवि, यौन हिंसा वग़ैरह पर जानकारी भी होती है।
व्यापक यौनिकता शिक्षा एक संवेदनशील मुद्दा है जिसे लोग अनदेखा कर देना ही आसान समझते हैं, चाहे इसकी वजह से किशोरावस्था से गुज़र रहे लोग अपने शरीर के बारे में उपयुक्त जानकारी के न रहते हुए ग़लत फ़ैसले क्यों न ले लें।
‘Is the future so dark?’ you might ask. I am here to tell you that it is not. As you begin your exploration into the world of queer theory and feminist theory, you will learn that the straightjacket version of sexuality cooked by our families was undercooked.
After all, comprehensive sexuality education is also not just about knowledge giving. We want experiential educators who include the modalities of art, dance, music, theatre, etc., to address our lived sexual experiences.
I often imagine if I had been able to access friendly and empowering comprehensive sexuality education from my childhood, how different my life would have turned out to be.
We requested some sexuality educators to speak on some of the priorities they identify, and also to share directions towards possible ways that could move us forward together in the Comprehensive Sexuality Education landscape, keeping in mind that there are many different constituencies and interest groups involved.
It is unfortunate that one of the most fundamental processes of human life is shunned to the extent that we’ve been taught, and so we learn to dismiss the natural feelings our bodies produce.
“It’s rather unfortunate that our educational institutions and systems are so reluctant to understand, or they simply ignore, the importance of providing our youth with CSE that can help erase the shame and crippling self-doubt around sexuality, bodies, reproductive rights and wellness.
While there is an oversaturation of information on sexuality, accurate, inclusive and affirming information is few and far between. Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) offers us multiple pathways to address these dilemmas.
Women’s bodies are considered as symbols of izzat and abru (honour and dignity) making it the woman’s responsibility to ‘protect’ her sexuality, while at the same time, her sexuality is controlled by patriarchs.