A new innovative boardgame on youth healthy living will be introduced in secondary schools of Turkmenistan. The “Gorelde bol!” (Be a role model!) boardgame featuring adolescent reproductive health issues was developed by UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund and sponsored by the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan.
The boardgame will help school students in Turkmenistan to learn about reproductive health and gender equality and equip them with life skills to make responsible health decisions through play.
In Turkmenistan, the issues of reproductive health, gender equality and reproductive rights are being taught as part of the mandatory subject Basics of Lifeskills in 7 to 11 grades of the secondary schools. The quality of teaching of these issues is increasingly improving, as in the past years UNFPA and the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan have jointly developed the national standards of reproductive health education and teacher’s competencies required to teach the subject.
One of the important areas of cooperation is ensuring that the methodologies used to cater this important subject are interactive and effective.
“Reproductive health education becomes effective when the focus is made on life skills,” said Mr. Bashim Gaitnazarov, Director of the secondary school in the capital. “That is why it is crucial to use interactive methods of presenting these materials to the youth, and through these games to make them think and internalize these skills and be able to make responsible decisions throughout their life.”
As a result of dynamic partnership between UNFPA and the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan, series of videos were also produced, alongside with the boardgame, to support the teachers in covering such sensitive issues as adolescent reproductive health hygiene, sexually transmitted diseases, as well as the topics of gender equality, healthy diet and importance of healthy active and responsible living.
“Research shows that age appropriate reproductive health education does not lead to risky behavior,” said Ms. Bayramgul Garabayeva, UNFPA Assistant Representative in Turkmenistan at the launch event today. “In fact, it can lead to a more responsible behavior and relationships. If started from an early age, comprehensive reproductive health education helps young people and adolescents understand their changing bodies and feelings, and develop safe, healthy and responsible relationships with others.”
Please view the introductory video here: https://youtu.be/39SGJktZFVI
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For additional information, please contact
Bayramgul Garabayeva, UNFPA Assistant Representative
Ene Tuyliyeva, Advocacy Communication Associate
Tel: 488325
Web: turkmenistan.unfpa.org, tm.one.un.org
