The family planning, SOS Homophobia and Sidaction seized the Paris administrative court Thursday March 2 to enforce the 2001 law which provides for three annual sexuality education sessions for students, from school to high school.
by Sylvie Lecherbonnier
Family planning, homophobia and Sidaction increased the tone. These associations seize, Thursday, March 2, the Paris Administrative Court to “have the State responsibility recognized in the lack of implementation” of the law of 2001. This text provides for the implementation of three annual sessions of sexuality education at school, college and high school. In fact, only 15 % of schoolchildren and high school students and less than 20 % of college students benefit, according to a recent report from the General Inspectorate of Education, Sport and Research.
With this request, the three associations want to enjoin the State to take “any useful measure to enforce its legal obligations”. The insufficiency and dispersion of the means, the lack of availability of teachers as well as a control of piloting were pointed out by the general inspection to explain these deficiencies.
The latest surveys – from the High Council to Equality, in particular – have pushed these organizations to “be more offensive”. According to these studies, one in five women aged 18 to 24 declares that she has already suffered a rape or sexual assault, one in three young people says he is poorly informed about AIDS and half of young LGBTs claim to be victims of discrimination at school .
“self -confidence” and “empathy”
“There is an emergency”, argues Sarah Durocher, president of the family planning, while the law was promulgated twenty-two years ago and then regularly enriched to promote a global approach to sexuality education, to both biological, psychoaffective and social. “Sexist and sexual violence such as attacks on LGBT people could be avoided if this law was fully applied,” said the associative manager. Sexuality has proven itself. It gives “essential psychosocial skills to develop autonomy, self -confidence, student empathy and healthy and balanced relationships with others”, judge the family planning, Sidaction and Homophobia SOS.
The request targets more particularly the Ministry of National Education, in charge of this prevention policy. Pap Ndiaye already said he was mobilized on the subject and published a new circular in September 2022 to “strengthen” sexuality education. The three associations recognize this commitment but judge the text “insufficient”. “For twenty-two years, other ministers have shown their commitment and we have been disappointed several times,” insists Florence Thune, the director of Sidaction. “The insufficiency both quantitative and qualitative of the implementation of the law is manifest. The #MeToo wave and the” great cause of the five -year term “intended for the fight against violence against women have not changed anything”, she says.
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