Rutgers WPF awarded prestigious international prize

June 6, 2011
On 12 June Rutgers WPF will be presented the Award for Excellence & Innovation in Sexuality Education 2011. This will take place during the opening ceremony of the 20e World Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) in Glasgow. Rutgers WPF is being granted the prize because of its strong and comprehensive programmes in the area of sexual and relational education and the groundbreaking work it has achieved in supporting organisations in developing countries.

Prize criteria
Rutgers WPF is the winner in the category of non-governmental organisations. According to the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) Rutgers WPF excelled in all the criteria considered, among others: relevance of programme to target group(s) and social context; evidence of evaluation and results; use of innovative concepts; relevance of methodology and materials used to target groups.

Years of expertise
Rutgers WPF, and the former Rutgers Nisso Groep and the Rutgers Stichting, have invested in sexual education since the sixties, with the result that the Dutch approach is seen internationally as the model for a low rate of teenage pregnancies, abortions and STIs/HIV. The interventions carried out by Rutgers WPF are based on scientific research and theoretical models of actual behaviour influence. Effect studies provide new insights into practice.

Sexual and relationship education in primary school
Rutgers WPF was the first organisation in Europe that promoted sexual and relationship education from a young age, preferably from first class in primary school. This early learning lays the foundation for healthy sexual relationships later on. The aims, themes and methodologies of the sexual and relational education programmes are matched to the stage of sexual development and social environment of the children. Specific to the work of Rutgers WPF is the focus on positive and healthy sexual development of young people, by promoting knowledge, social and communicative skills and respect for others.

Information online
These days young people are primarily reached online and via social media. Together with Soa Aids Nederland Rutgers WPF launched the youth website with confidential information relating to sexuality: www.sense.info. In the campaign ‘Maak seks lekker duidelijk’ [Speak easy on sex] Rutgers WPF and Soa Aids Nederland encourage young people to think about their wishes and boundaries by completing an online ‘manual’ and sharing this through the social network site, Hyves. The same campaign also comprises an educative online game in which young people can practice recognising and indicating their boundaries in situations in danger of escalating. Parents can receive information at www.uwkindenseks.nl, where, among others, demo films are shown on how to initiate a discussion with your teenager.

International Centre of Expertise
Rutgers WPF has devoted itself for many years to the promotion of the sexual and reproductive health and rights of people (in particular young people and women) in and outside the Netherlands. The merger of Rutgers Nisso Groep and the World Population Foundation (WPF) in January of this year was a logical joining of forces in this area. Rutgers WPF also supports local organisations in developing countries in setting up their own information campaigns. Participation of the target group, i.e. youth, plays an important part in this.