Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Knowing your body and boundaries in relationships

Dreams about the future

Children and young people with disabilities in developing countries are like all other young people: they dream about the future, think about education, and have ambitions to find work. And like all young people, they dream about relationships and maybe even about a family of their own. This dream rarely comes true because sexuality, with all its aspects, is usually not considered an important part of the lives of young people with disabilities.

Comprehensive sexual education

Liliane Fonds believes there should be more appropriate and comprehensive education about sexual and reproductive health for young people with disabilities. Due to the lack of good quality education on this topic, they often grow up with negative associations with their sexuality and are inhibited in their physical and mental development.

Prevention

Young people with a disability are an easy target of abuse and (sexual) violence. 40-68% of women with a disability become the victim of abuse before they turn eighteen. Additionally, forced sterilisations and marriages take place frequently. A common assumption is that people with a disability cannot protect themselves. They are believed to be incapable of deciding for themselves whether they want to have children. That is why we stress the importance of education about sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for young people with a disability.