The 1st Comprehensive Sexual Education Congress of Chile is held at the UC with a large turnout

The event was organized by the Foundation Chile needs ESI It had the support of the UC and other institutions. It became a landmark event, bringing together the academic world and the public.

More than 450 people attended the First Congress on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in Chile, held on October 23 at the Faculty of Education of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

The event was organized by the Chile Needs Comprehensive Sexuality Education Foundation, whose board includes Ana Luisa Muñoz, an academic from the Catholic University of Chile's Department of Education.It had the support of various universities, public bodies and civil society organizations, becoming an unprecedented space for academic and citizen dialogue on the teaching of sexuality from a comprehensive and inclusive perspective.

Teaching sexuality from a comprehensive, inclusive and rights-based perspective

The meeting was extended until October 25 with the aim of promoting the exchange of knowledge and experiences regarding sexual education.

Among the authorities present were the Minister of Social Development and Family, Javiera Toro; the deputy Emilia SchneiderRepresentatives of the Nordic Council of Ministers in Chile.

On behalf of UC Education, the Director of Undergraduate Studies at the UC Faculty of Education, Malba Barahona He valued the holding of this congress and highlighted it as a significant milestone. “Comprehensive sexuality education is, without a doubt, an essential dimension of human development that invites us to think about education from a profoundly ethical, inclusive and respectful perspective of diversity.”He pointed out. However, there is an outstanding debt in initial teacher training, since this “it does not yet occupy an explicit and systematic place”, he clarified.

“Sex education is a major challenge that was postponed for years. Today we see the consequences of that omission.”Martín de la Sotta, executive director of the Chile Needs ESI Foundation and main manager of this initiative, pointed out.

The day included exhibitions by Nancy Kendall (University of Wisconsin–Madison) and EJ Renold (Government of Wales), who shared international experiences on democratization and curricular co-creation in sex education.

Presentations, workshops and fair of social organizations

The academic committee, made up of the doctors Anita Tobar (CIAE–University of Chile) and Barbara Berger (University of Magallanes), highlighted the diversity of topics addressed in the more than 50 academic presentations, including the challenges of the digital environment, inclusion and programs on affectivity and gender.

In addition, the Social Organizations Fair brought together entities such as APROFA, Amnesty International, Everything Gets Better y Brave Girls Foundation, who presented pedagogical resources and educational materials.

The UC Faculty of Education, together with the Diego Portales University and the HELLOThey also hosted practical workshops where the attendees received “International Technical Guidelines on Sexuality Education” of the UNESCO.

A call to incorporate comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) into teacher training

Agustín Ramos, Deputy Director of Chile Necesita ESI, highlighted the Social Organizations Fair as a clear example of creative and coherent educational practices: “There is a wide range of educational tools for addressing corporeality, pleasure and prevention, such as realistic anatomical models of the diversity of bodies and their symptoms, children's literature and artistic expressions.”This space included the participation of organizations such as APROFA, Amnesty International, Todo Mejora, SENADIS, Borda Chile, Fundación Niñas Valientes and Disidencias en Red, among others.

Under the phrase of Gabriela Mistral “The future of childhood is now, tomorrow will be too late.”The organization called for progress in incorporating Comprehensive Sexuality Education into teacher training and the country's educational policies. “We want to be the last generation that did not receive Comprehensive Sex Education”They concluded from the Chile Needs Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) group. Along the same lines, Malba Barahona from the UC Education Center emphasized the importance of teacher training institutions that prepare future teachers. “It is essential that they understand sexuality not only as curricular content, but as a fundamental aspect of well-being, coexistence, and the holistic development of children and young people,” she added.