Beyond “Abstinence Only”

Over the course of the past 25 years, a global movement calling itself “pro-family” has emerged in opposition to advances in gender- and sexuality-related rights within global governance arenas. The effects of the pro-family movement’s activism and movement building have begun to raise alarm among feminist and queer advocacy groups and scholars in many parts of the world. In Eastern and Southern Africa, the so-called pro-family movement has advanced a campaign against the implementation of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) and the provision of sexual and reproductive health support and services for young people. Attacks on CSE are related to pro-family attacks on gender studies as an academic discipline taking place in other parts of the world. The lessons learned from the region indicate that this countermovement is waging a well-funded and coordinated attack on gains made by queer and feminist social movements over the past 50 years through its transnational advocacy.