Save the Children welcomes the ruling
of Judge Pierre Rabie on the Sexual Offences Act, that sections of the Act which made consensual sex between teenagers a
crime, were unconstitutional, as reported by the Mail and Guardian on January
18, 2013.
”We do not support
the argument that sexual violence among children under the age of 16 years will
be increased as a result of this ruling as reported in the Pretoria news on
January 16, 2013. We know that sexual predators violate people’s rights whether
legislation exist or not”, said Timothy Bainbridge, Save the Children Sweden’s Regional
Director for Southern Africa. “This is more
reason to educate our children from a young age that sexuality is part of who
they are and is their choice. In this
way children will be able to protect themselves from unwanted sexual advances, he
concluded.
According to
Peel Public Health (2007) from the ages of 9 to 12, developmentally children
may take part in sexual exploration with peers and may have to face decisions
about sex and drugs. In the absence of the correct information, these youths
will seek information from other sources including their peers which is often
incorrect thereby exposing them to risk.
In the words of Vivienne
Mentor-Lalu, advocacy coordinator for Resources Aimed at the Prevention of
Child Abuse and Neglect, “If we want children to make sound decisions around
sexuality, how can criminalising sexuality be the way? That, for us, is such an
obvious point. We don’t see why people aren’t getting it,” lies sincere value for an immediate need for a Comprehensive Sexuality
Education and Information programme for children as young as 5.
It is not
strange to hear children request information on sex and sexuality. As society,
we should be responding to these requests in a way that offers information to
help these children make informed decisions rather than turn a blind eye or
have measures in place that criminalise their need to develop.
Tell me More
(2007) says that sexuality is everything
that goes into making you a human being including sex, gender identities and
roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction.
Save the
Children as a child rights organisation is currently engaging in a Pan African Comprehensive
Sexuality Education and Information project that interact through partners with
children at the earliest age possible to ensure that they are more aware and
informed about their Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) to develop
positive behaviours for adopting safer sex practices when they eventually
become sexually active.
NO! It is not
about teaching sex education to 5 year olds. Rather it aims at providing children with the
tools to make informed decisions when deciding to engage in sexual activities.
Save the Children sympathise with the
shared concern around early sexual debut, the solution does not lie in any
advocacy related campaign to repeal this judgement but must be more about
sexuality education, behaviour change and access to health services and
counselling.
For more information on SRHR you can contact Yumnah Hattas at the Save the Children Regional Office in Pretoria. Yumnah.Hattas@saf.savethechildren.se +27 12 342 0222
