One of the mistakes Nigerian parents make when it comes to parenting and sex education is to address a child’s private part with various slangs. Nigerian parents, using the Yorubas as a case study, are known to attributing different names to a child’s private part. The Yoruba’s use words like “kokoro, kini mi, nnkan mi”, the Igbos use words like “ntantan”. In Pidgin English, slang like “banana”, “pipi”, and “yansh” are used.
In most environments, children weren’t exactly told not to mention the slang, they just knew. It was a culture; you don’t need to be taught, you grow up in it. The question is: Why do parents do this? Mrs Rofiat, a resident of Ota Efun, Osogbo in Osun State said it is very inappropriate to let kids in into everything about their body and sex education. She believes that it might be abused.
On the other hand, her neighbour, a single mother of three girls whose kids are between the ages of 10 and 17 years old said she is changing the narrative by calling a spade a spade and letting her kids know the appropriate names for their private part as well as other necessary details without holding back. Attributing slang to private parts is an important aspect of sex education, especiallyforo the girl child.
Another mistake African parents, especially Nigerians make is to come up with different lies and narratives about sex. You’ll hear an African mother tell their adolescent girls not to allow any boy to hold her, if not, she’ll get pregnant. “Sex” is like a plague, a taboo word that the child must not hear of. They do this and many more instead of sitting the girl-child down to explain everything needed without mincing words. It is not in dispute that the girl child remains the most vulnerable and most abused in any society.
Health Think defines sex education as the provision of knowledge about body development, sex, sexuality, and relationships, as well as skill development, to assist young people in communicating about sex and making educated decisions about their sexual health. Sex education goes beyond mere biological facts; it includes discussions on consent, boundaries, self-esteem, communication skills, and societal norms, fostering a more profound understanding of oneself and others in the context of sexuality.
It is important to impart knowledge about sexual health, reproductive rights, and gender equality to young girls. Providing young people with accurate, age-appropriate information about their bodies, emotions, and relationships, empowers them to make informed decisions and navigate the complexities of adolescence and adulthood. Sex education provides girls with the necessary knowledge and skills they need to assert control over their bodies and advocate for their rights in case of abuse. Providing accurate information about anatomy, menstruation, contraception, and sexual health services, empowers girls to take charge of their reproductive lives and make decisions that align with their values and preferences.
Comprehensive sex education has been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy by providing adolescents with accurate information about contraception, fertility, and pregnancy prevention. Sex awareness and education are significant, right from when a child’s body starts to develop. Promoting responsible sexual behaviour and providing appropriate sex education helps to delay the onset of sexual activity and reduce the risk of unintended pregnancies among adolescent girls. In an interview with
Miss Salvation, founder of VARSH, an NGO dedicated to the girl child talked about how sex education can prevent unwanted pregnancy. She said, “When addressing teenage pregnancy — which has become a menace in our society today — one of the strategic ways to prevent teenage pregnancy is by teaching girls and boys comprehensively on sex education; exposing them to ways to manage their sexual cycles, prevention of unintended pregnancies.”
Sex education plays a considerable role in preventing sexual abuse, harassment, and exploitation because sex education will provide the girl child with significant details about their rights, boundaries, and personal safety. By educating girls about consent, healthy relationships, and red flags of abuse, sex education empowers them to recognize and resist coercive or abusive behaviour from loved ones and strangers. Providing a well-detailed sex education contributes to the mental and emotional well-being of girl child by addressing common concerns, fears, and misconceptions related to sexuality and relationships. Some misconceptions about sex, periods, and private parts will be cleared with sex education. The child must learn about sex first from her parents and guardians. There is nothing wrong in teaching a child about her sex organs. Let her know the purpose for which her vagina is made but that it is for use during marriage only. Providing a safe and supportive space for open dialogue and discussion about sex education helps girls develop self-confidence, self-esteem, and resilience. This enhances their overall psychological health and resilience in the face of societal pressures and expectations.
In addition, sex education plays a crucial role in promoting gender equality by challenging harmful gender stereotypes, norms, and expectations that limit girls’ opportunities and autonomy. By fostering critical thinking, empathy, and respect for diversity, sex education empowers girls to challenge gender-based discrimination, advocate for their rights, and pursue their aspirations without fear of stigma or discrimination.
Sex education promotes positive body image and self-esteem among girls. It challenges unrealistic beauty standards, promotes acceptance of diverse body types, and fosters a healthy attitude towards sexuality and self-expression. It encourages girls to embrace their bodies, celebrate their individuality, and respect themselves and others. Sex education helps to counteract the negative effects of media messages and societal pressures that contribute to low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction. Girls should be taught at a very young age that they are beautiful and unique.
Furthermore, sex education is instrumental in preventing the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. Sex education promotes safe sexual practices, including condom use, regular testing, and communication about sexual health. Raising awareness about the risks of unprotected sex and the importance of STI/HIV prevention empowers the girl child with the knowledge needed to protect themselves and their partners from infection and make responsible choices about their sexual health.
Recently, with the rapid growth of information, sex information is everywhere as well. Children are curious about sex. Therefore, parents need to instil correct concepts of sex to their children as early as possible before they are misled by indecent magazines and irresponsible sex scenes on social media.
Conclusively, sex education should be highly promoted and encouraged in homes, schools, and even religious gatherings. In a chat with Miss Omolola Pedro, an advocate for the girl child, she explained that sex education is not a taboo, it’s not unholy as most religious parents will deem it to be and it’s better taught earlier by parents because it’s a predatory world out there where sexual predation is terrifyingly on the rise. The earlier, the better we enlighten our children, the better. The girl child is at most risk of sexual assault and molestation by the opposite gender, and as such should be educated about sex and her sexuality. Sex education will go a long way in helping to curtail sexual vices in society. Children nowadays are very curious and will find answers to everything if their parents or guardians refuse to.
Miss Salvation added that more NGOs like hers believe that Sex education plays an indispensable role in the development of the girl child, exposing them to adequate knowledge.
