My Body is Mine
Increasing knowledge on sexual and reproductive health helps decreasing chances of abuse.
Breaking taboos
My Body is Mine, a project launched in Indonesia in 2018, aims to provide comprehensive sexuality education for all children and young people with disabilities. In Indonesia, due to the lack of knowledge about sexual and reproductive health (SRHR), children and youth with a disability are more often victims of sexual abuse. The chance of being sexually abused is four times greater for children with a disability than for other children. Together with local partner organisations, My Body is Mine helps fight this reality and empowers children and youth with disabilities to become more resilient.
Often, parents and teachers find sexuality a difficult subject to discuss. My Body is Mine helps break the taboos around sexual and reproductive health and empowers children. We provide help and teaching materials for parents and teachers to make the subject easier to discuss and understandable for children.
“People in Indonesia don’t think comprehensive sexuality education is necessary for children with a disability,” says Nona Yabloy, My Body is Mine project officer. “But it is every child’s right. We expand their knowledge about health and sexuality. As a result, they are more capable of standing up for themselves.”
Objectives & results
- More children – both with and without a disability – are aware of their sexual and reproductive rights by talking openly about sexuality;
- More children – both with and without a disability – know about their physical development and changes during puberty;
- Both children with and without a disability are more resilient, as they can better express their wishes and boundaries with regards to close physical contact;
- More cases of sexual assault were reported and adequately followed up due to increased knowledge and empowerment around the topic of SRHR.
