NGO defends sexuality rights

That was the declaration made in a press release issued last Friday by the Caribbean Coalition on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (CCSRHR).

Furthermore, the CCSRHR complained that while Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean nations have signed on to multiple agreements and treaties to that effect, they have yet to uphold the principles outlined in those documents.

“...The right to healthy sexuality is enshrined in multiple agreements and treaties that have been signed by international governments including our Caribbean governments as far back as 1948 with the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights...All of these agreements seek to ensure the following - equality and non-discrimination; access to sexuality education; access to sexual reproductive health services including by young people; the right to choose a partner; gender equality; youth empowerment; and HIV and AIDS – for all persons, regardless of race, age, economic status, class, religion, sexual identity.

“However, despite the existence of these agreements, there still persists in the region major inequities in relation to sexual and reproductive health. In several Caribbean countries whereas the age of consent is sixteen, a young person cannot legally access contraceptives until the age of eighteen, creating a two year gap unprotected by our laws.

Meanwhile our youth are also denied the right to that high quality sexuality education in schools which would empower them to make informed decisions regarding their sexuality and prepare them to better manage their later adult lives as parents, partners and sexual beings.

Across the region daily, persons of different sexual persuasion live their lives under a cloud of stigma and discrimination.

These are just a few of the many equities that will be tackled over time by the Coalition...” In an effort to combat these inequalities, the CCSRHR is currently focused on advocating for comprehensive sexuality education in schools.

According to the organisation, comprehensive sexuality education in schools is essential for a person to effectively negotiate his or her sexuality.