The Fiji Women’s Rights Movement is calling for comprehensive Sexuality Education to be made mandatory in all schools as part of the Education Act review.

While speaking at the public consultation on the review of the Education Act 1966 at Fiji National University in Nasinu, Human Rights and Training Officer Ala-Cassandra Singh stresses that young people continue to face serious risks due to limited access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information.

She also raises concerns about rising teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and the lack of understanding around consent especially among adolescents aged 15 to 19.

Singh says girls in this age group are involved with older men, and there are cases of children under 15 engaging in sexual activity.

She cited the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey by Canada’s Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF, which records global adolescent birth rate at 31 per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19.

“In Fiji, the need for CSE is increasingly urgent. Growing patterns of sexual activity in adolescents, teenage pregnancies and HIV infestation often linked to drug use and multiple sexual partners demand an informed and proactive response.”

She says the FWRM believes that incorporating comprehensive sexual education will empowers students with age-appropriate knowledge on relationships, consent, contraception, and disease prevention.

Singh also referred to a 2017 study in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, which finds that 18.9% of school-age adolescents in Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, and Vanuatu have engaged in sex, with 38% initiating it before the age of 14.

“Many boys grow up without learning about consent, and girls are left vulnerable to unwanted pregnancies and STIs due to lack of education.”

Singh maintains that education policies must support open, informed conversations and equip young people with essential life skills to protect their health and rights.

The Ministry of Education is currently doing public consultation in the process of review of the Education Act 1966 to modernise the education system to meet the needs of today’s students.

The public consultation for the review of the Education Act 1966 is currently underway at the Fiji National University Nasinu Campus and then it will be held at the Nausori Parish Hall from 3pm to 6pm today.

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