Pleasure Positive Approach
Short summary
Rutgers and RNW Media are frontrunners on the pleasure positive approach, and how to put this holistic focus on healthy sexual development for lifelong sexual wellbeing (as opposed to a health, or even risk- or fear-based approach) into practice for more effective SRHR programming. The interpretation and implementation of the pleasure positive approach needs to be adapted to what is effective in a specific context, and country partners are the experts on their sociocultural context. We see our role in this joint learning trajectory to provide technical capacity strengthening where needed, and to catalyze the showcasing of good practices and lessons learned on how the pleasure positive approach can be put into practice and add value to SRHR programmes.
What capacity strengthening support can we provide on this topic?
Main areas in which Rutgers provides support are
● Theories and evidence for the pleasure positive approach in SRHR: understand sexual pleasure and sexual well-being in relation to sexual health, sexual rights and healthy sexual development.
● Pleasure VCAT: examine, question, and transform possible rigid personal attitudes towards (AY)SRHR that might hinder applying a pleasure positive approach.
● Pleasure positive communication: analyse current approaches used; strategies to apply the pleasure positive approach (more) to communication; norm changing communications; developing pleasure positive communication guidelines; etc.
● PMEL & research on pleasure positive approaches: support in design and carrying out of PMEL, operational research or effect studies.
In addition, RNW Media can provide support on
● Pleasure positive SRHR (digital) content creation: practical guidance on how to utilise the pleasure positive approach when creating SRHR I&E content for digital channels and includes case studies from the LMGN.
● Pleasure positive online campaigning: guidance on how to apply the pleasure positive approach in online campaigning and how to do so in a culturally contextual manner. Coaching is available for specific online campaign design, creation and launch.
● Pleasure positive approach to build digital communities on SRHR: discuss and learn how to apply the pleasure positive approach in practice when moderating digital spaces (eg social media discussions) to ensure that moderation is sex-positive, aspirational and open-minded.
What could the CS look like?
- Mentoring/coaching at a distance, developing and/or (co-) facilitating (ToT) workshops/trainings or self-directed e-learnings, facilitating online follow-up peer supervision sessions, etc.; and/or
- Sharing resources and materials and/or provide technical support in the development or adaptation of implementation strategies, documents and (PMEL) tools, such as communication guidelines for pleasure positive I&E and campaigning, I&E or campaigning materials; and/or
- Linking and supporting exchange with pool of global experts and like-minded peers on SRHR I&E.
What tools are available?
- IPPF/The Open University - Open access online course: Taking the Pleasure-based approach to Comprehensive Sexuality Education
- Global Advisory Board - Training toolkit on sexual pleasure
- The pleasure Project - Training Toolkit
What languages can this CS support be provided in?
French and English