ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on gender and sexuality as key forms of difference, power and privilege. International research states that the most effective Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) programmes are those that adopt a rights- and gender-based approach. Exploring gender and sexual norms and inequalities is an area of RSE that can provoke lively and passionate debate, but also tensions and disagreement. Modern western culture generally sees only two binary genders (male and female). The chapter aims to encourage young people to voice their own experiences of gender and sexuality, including experiences of harassment, inequality and discrimination. Sexual violence and sexual harassment can occur between two children of any age and gender but all the evidence available suggests that girls experience much higher levels of unwanted sexual touch, pressure to share nudes, unwanted sexual messages and sexual assault.
