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Shahid Rafiq, Emerson University Multan, PakistanAbstract
This study explores the varying approaches to sexuality education in seven Muslim-majority countries, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Tunisia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, and compares them with Pakistan’s developing Life Skills Based Education (LSBE) efforts. Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is understood as a rights-based, age-appropriate curriculum addressing the biological, social, and emotional aspects of sexuality. Guided by a constructivist paradigm and using qualitative document analysis, we examined official policy documents, national curricula, government publications, NGO reports, and scholarly literature to analyze policy presence, curricular content, cultural framing, and implementation strategies. Among the countries studied, Tunisia stands out for its nationwide CSE framework, integrated across subjects for learners aged 5 to 18 and aligned with international standards. In contrast, Malaysia and Indonesia include limited reproductive health topics within broader subjects like health and science, emphasizing moral and religious values, but do not offer standalone CSE courses. Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE lack formal CSE policies altogether, leaving adolescents to rely on peers or digital media for information. Pakistan similarly lacks a national CSE policy, with only the province of Sindh implementing LSBE through partnerships between government and NGOs, focusing on puberty, hygiene, and abuse prevention. To bridge this gap, Pakistan should consider developing a phased, culturally appropriate national CSE framework. This would involve integrating age-specific objectives into existing curricula, ensuring policy support, training teachers, and engaging parents, religious leaders, and youth to align educational efforts with both local values and global health standards.
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