UNESCO will partner with selected civil society organizations (CSO) to support the Ministry of General Education to conduct advocacy and orientation meetings for traditional leaders (Chiefs) in Central Province, Eastern, Lusaka, Northwestern and Southern Provinces of Zambia on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) as a Strategy to address Early and Unintended Pregnancy (EUP), Child Marriage and Gender Based Violence (GBV).
In order to strengthen the participation of communities in the implementation of CSE and to raise awareness among traditional leaders on the importance and benefits of CSE and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR); the Ministry of General Education in collaboration with UNESCO and selected CSOs has partnered with the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs to enhance community engagement and participation in the implementation of CSE through traditional leaders. In addition, from August, 2020, Zambia had witnessed an aggressive and systematic campaign against the implementation of CSE in Zambian Schools. The planned advocacy meetings will offer an opportunity to meaningfully engage the traditional leaders in the implementation of CSE and subsequently help to dispel myths and misconceptions about CSE in the country. There will about 170 traditional leaders drawn from the five provinces who are expected to reach about 20,000 village headmen in their chiefdom within 12 months of implementing their action plans.