Narok women want sex education in curriculum

Women leaders and those vying for political positions in Narok County on Monday, July 3 advocated for sex education to be incorporated in the primary school syllabus.

Speaking in a one-day workshop organized by USAID in Narok, the women highlighted major problems facing the girl child including Female Genital Mutilation and forced child marriages in the Maasai community which force the girl child to drop out of school.

According to the Senior Health Advisor USAID Kenya and East Africa, Dr. Sheila Macharia, teen pregnancy in Narok County is the highest in Rift Valley calculated at 40% and contributes to the low literacy rates among women.

She noted that unplanned pregnancies, early marriage and some cultural practices continue to limit opportunities for girls to better participate in the economic transformation of Narok County.

“Sex education is very very important, do not think it is something to shy away from, it should be brought to the education system,” said Dr. Macharia.

“Sex education is very paramount, these days, it is very rare to find a mother and a girl talking openly about sex. The more we keep burying our heads in sand, the more these problems keep going on.”

Dr. Macharia said that education for girls in many counties including Narok works best when girls are separated from the daily chores at home that keep them from attending to their homework and study for exams like the boy child.

Written by Elizabeth Kibor