Croatia Sued Over its Abstinence Based Sex-Ed Programme

ZaMirZine

15 October 2007

The New York Centre for Reproductive Rights, Interights and Centre for Education, Counselling and Research CESI from Zagreb, filed a complaint against Croatia to the European Social Rights Committee, for its attempt to introduce a discriminatory and scientifically inaccurate abstinence based sexual education programme in the schools.

According to the three organizations, Croatia threatens the lives and wellbeing of the youth through inappropriate and biased sex-ed, thus violating the European Social Charter. Over the past ten years, Croatia supported and funded the Teen STAR extracurricular programme, and currently intends to introduce an almost identical programme proposed by GROZD association, says Sanja Cesar, Programme Leader with CESI.

In her view, both programmes put emphasis on abstinence based approach to sexual education, are opposed to use of condoms and other contraception, disparage any relationship not in line with traditional family, claim homosexuality is a form of deviant behaviour, and promote gender stereotyping.

This year, Members of European Parliament expressed their concerns over the contents of the new programme and the fact that it is in collision with Croatian anti-discrimination and healthcare legislation. Surveys show that 50 percent of adolescent boys and 30 percent adolescent girls had their first intercourse at 16 years of age. About one half of them use condoms, but not on regular basis.