Dear WAS Members and Friends,
Welcome back as we continue our countdown to World Sexual Health Day 2025.
This week, we turn our attention to one of the most urgent and foundational dimensions of sexual justice: Access to Information.
Without access to accurate, inclusive, and evidence-based information, sexual rights cannot be realized, and justice remains out of reach for far too many.
Inside this issue, you'll find: - An introduction to this year's WAS Education Award recipients
- A spotlight on Access to Information as a core focus area of the WSHD 2025 campaign
- Highlights from a powerful WAS–UNFPA symposium at #WAS2025 on advancing sexuality education for out-of-school youth
Keep reading to learn more.
| | | WAS Education Awards 2025 | | | At the Opening Ceremony of the 27th WAS Congress in Brisbane / Meanjin, the World Association for Sexual Health proudly presented the WAS Award for Excellence & Innovation in Sexuality Education 2025.
These awards recognize individuals, programs, and organizations whose work exemplifies scientific rigor, creative delivery, community relevance, and courageous advocacy - especially at a time when comprehensive sexuality education faces growing opposition.
"At a time when comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is under threat in many parts of the world, these honorees inspire us with their courage, creativity, and global leadership." - Elna Rudolph, WAS Immediate Past President
| | |
Recipients of the WAS Award for Excellence & Innovation in Sexuality Education 2025
| | | Pictured (L–R): Ana Yáñez Otero (ICEXS, Spain), Yuri Ohlrichs (Sense.info, Netherlands), Neelam Punjani (University of Alberta, Canada), Dr. George W. Turner (USA), and Esther Corona Vargas (Vice Chair, WAS Sexuality Education Committee 2021-2025), accepting on behalf of Montaser Qawadri (Jordan). | | Pictured: Ana Yáñez Otero (ICEXS: Prevención y Atención Primaria en Salud Mental y Sexual, Mérida, Spain) receives the WAS Award for Excellence & Innovation in Sexuality Education (Government‑Sponsored Program) from Dr. Elna Rudolph (WAS Immediate Past President) and Esther Corona Vargas (WAS Vice President).
Ana leads a pioneering initiative in Extremadura integrating mental–sexual health prevention, primary care, and socio‑educational support for adolescents and families.
| | | Pictured: Neelam Punjani (University of Alberta, Canada) receives the WAS Award for Excellence & Innovation in Sexuality Education (Academic Program) from Elna Rudolph (WAS Immediate Past President) and Esther Corona Vargas (WAS Vice President).
Dr. Punjani is an Assistant Professor dedicated to promoting positive sexual health for children and youth. She develops digital knowledge-translation tools to support age-appropriate, gender-sensitive sexuality education - an effort recognized with the 2025 WAS Education Award. | | | Pictured: George W. Turner (USA) receives the WAS Award for Excellence & Innovation in Sexuality Education (Individual category) from Elna Rudolph (WAS Immediate Past President) and Esther Corona Vargas (WAS Vice President).
Dr. Turner is a senior social work lecturer and a pioneering sexuality and disability scholar whose work integrates sexual justice into social work education. His research focuses on empowering minoritized populations through relational and sexual well-being, narrative pedagogy, and inclusive practice-including award-winning podcasts and evidence-based teaching interventions.
| | |  | | Click to watch George Turner share what it means to teach sex and disability in social work education, and why breaking taboos is vital for justice. | | Pictured: Montaser Qawadri (Jordan) receives the WAS Award for Excellence & Innovation in Sexuality Education (Individual category).
Montaser is Co‑Founder and Vice President of Pulse, a Jordanian community-based organization registered under the Ministry of Health, dedicated to improving sexual and reproductive health and rights through education, advocacy, and youth leadership.
| | | Pictured: Yuri Ohlrichs (Sense.info, Netherlands) receives the WAS Award for Excellence & Innovation in Sexuality Education (NGO category) from Elna Rudolph (WAS Immediate Past President) and Esther Corona Vargas (WAS Vice President).
Sense.info is an online platform serving young people aged 12–25 with accessible, evidence-based information on sexuality and relationships. With over 2 million visits in 2024, it empowers youth to make confident, informed decisions through interactive features, sex-positive content, and expert support via chat, email, phone, and in-person clinics. | | |  | | Watch this 1-minute video to see why Sense.info is changing the game in youth sexual health education, and why it received the WAS Award for Excellence & Innovation in Sexuality Education 2025 | | | World Sexual Health Day 2025 | | | This week's spotlight in the lead-up to World Sexual Health Day is on access to information - and its essential role in achieving sexual justice.
Access to reliable, inclusive, evidence-based information about sexuality and health is a fundamental right. It equips individuals to make informed, safe, and confident choices about their bodies, relationships, and well-being.
Yet in many parts of the world, this access is increasingly restricted. Books are being banned. Websites are censored. Social media content about sexual health is being removed - sometimes quietly, often without explanation.
Without information, people are left without options.
At its core, sexual justice means ensuring that everyone, everywhere, has the right to learn, to understand, and to make decisions based on truth - not fear, silence, or stigma.
| | - Share trustworthy resources and amplify expert voices
- Support comprehensive sexuality education in schools and communities
- Encourage open, respectful conversations across generations
- Promote access to accurate, inclusive content - both online and offline
| | |
Further reading and resources
| | - WAS Declaration on Sexual Justice
- Book: On Censorship: A Public Librarian Examines Cancel Culture in the US by James LaRue
- Book: Too Hot to Handle: A Global History of Sex Education by Jonathan Zimmerman
- Paper: An Exploratory Study of Current Sources of Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Information in Kenya and Their Limitations: Are Mobile Phone Technologies the Answer?
Macharia, P., Pérez-Navarro, A., Inwani, I., Nduati, R., & Carrion, C. (2021). International Journal of Sexual Health, 33(3), 357–370. - Webinar: Battling Misinformation and Disinformation: SRHR in the Digital Age hosted by SRHM & USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health (January 2024)
| | | Access to information is also about dialogue. To support meaningful conversations about sexual justice, we've created a set of printable conversation cards. Each card includes a prompt designed to spark thoughtful, respectful, and inclusive discussions about sexuality, rights, and justice. Whether you're a teacher, parent, youth leader, health worker, or advocate, these cards can be adapted for use across age groups, languages, and settings, from classrooms to community groups to kitchen tables. Click below to access the printable slideshow Printing tip: Go to File → Print Preview and select "4 slides per page" in landscape format for best results.
| | |
Beyond the Classroom: Advancing Access to Sexuality Education for All
| | At the 27th Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health, a powerful symposium titled "Beyond the Boundaries, Within Reach" explored how to bring comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) to the more than 250 million out-of-school youth worldwide, many of whom are among the most underserved and marginalized.
Co-hosted by UNFPA and WAS, the session showcased findings from a new Global Status Report on Out-of-School CSE, based on global research, expert consultation, and case studies from Colombia and Ethiopia.
Speakers included: - Esther Corona-Vargas (WAS Vice President)
- Elizabeth Schroeder (International Program Consultant)
- Maya Kornelia Musa (BeWithYou Indonesia, Transform Education)
This work directly connects to this week's focus on Access to Information.
Sexual justice means ensuring that all young people, not just those in school, have access to accurate, inclusive, and empowering information about their bodies, health, and rights.
| |
Pictured, L–R: René de Klerk (WAS Executive Director), Elna Rudolph (WAS Immediate Past President, WAS), Esther Corona-Vargas (WAS Vice President), Maya Kornelia Musa (Executive Director, BeWithYou Indonesia), and Elizabeth Schroeder (Founder and Principal Consultant, Elizabeth Schroeder Consulting).
WAS is proud to collaborate with one of our key global partners, UNFPA, to expand access to accurate, inclusive information for all young people, especially those most often left behind.
| |
Access to information is a cornerstone of sexual justice, and something we can all help protect and promote.
Whether you're planning a campaign, hosting a community dialogue, or simply sharing trusted resources, your voice matters in the lead-up to World Sexual Health Day on 4 September.
Let's keep the momentum going.
The World Association for Sexual Health
| | Support the Mission of WAS We invite you to support the ongoing work of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS).
Your contributions help us continue our mission of promoting Sexual Health, Rights, and Justice globally. Consider becoming a supporting member or making a financial contribution today.
Donations are tax-deductible in the USA. | | | |  | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment