International SexEd Day: The Raelian Movement celebrates 11 Years of advocacy for Sexuality Education as a fundamental Human Right
Geneva, November 20, 2025 — Marking the 11th edition of International SexEd Day, the Raelian Movement renews its global call for a bold and truly transformative vision of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). Far more than a program aimed at disease prevention or moral restriction, the Raelian philosophy considers CSE an essential human right — a right rooted in pleasure, knowledge, and personal fulfillment.
“In a world confronted with sexual violence, massive digital misinformation, growing social inequalities, and persistent traditions rooted in guilt and shame, it has never been more urgent to offer young people an education that affirms life, celebrates diversity, and fosters autonomy,” said Clémence Linard, M.A.Ed, spokesperson for International SexEd Day.
Recent international research reinforces this need. A large meta-analysis of 34 global studies conducted between 2011 and 2023—covering more than 30,000 young people—demonstrated that CSE is highly effective in improving cognition, decision-making, and emotional well-being. According to the authors, long-term, consistent sexuality education not only increases knowledge but also delays risky behaviors and reduces unintended pregnancies: “If children and adolescents receive coherent and sustained CSE, their present and future health and well-being are positively transformed.”
Similarly, a 2024 editorial in Frontiers in Reproductive Health emphasized that sexuality education must move beyond fear‑ or shame‑based approaches: “Evidence‑based, pleasure‑inclusive sexuality education is not a luxury — it is a human right.”
These findings resonate profoundly with the Raelian vision, in which sexuality education must be spiritually uplifting and firmly grounded in scientific truth. Linard highlights this essential dimension: “Young people have the right to be educated about pleasure, not only about risk prevention. CSE is about building the foundations needed to know oneself, to love oneself, and to respect others.”
“What is revolutionary in the Raelian approach is that it restores pleasure to its central role — a body‑mind harmony aligned with science, not shame,” she added.
Yet, despite growing evidence, resistance remains strong. The original UNESCO report on sexuality education, published in 2009 — remarkable for its defense of human rights in sexuality and its inclusion of the concept of pleasure — was quietly modified under pressure from religious lobbies, especially Catholic groups. These same lobbies continue to act today, particularly in France, where they conduct aggressive disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining young people’s rights and distorting the very meaning of CSE.
“For years, the Raelian Movement has urged UNESCO to republish the full, uncensored version of this report, out of respect for transparency, scientific integrity, and youth empowerment,” Linard noted. “No regressive religious or political pressure should ever influence science or research — and this is especially true for sexuality and education. An international institution like UNESCO must remain secular and impervious to all forms of religious influence.”
“In the digital age, where young people increasingly learn about sexuality online, these studies highlight the importance of meeting them where they are — not with fear or censorship, but with true digital literacy: critical thinking, media understanding, self-awareness, and joy. These findings reinforce the Raelian conviction that young people are not passive recipients but active seekers of truth, pleasure, and connection,” the spokesperson continued.
As Raël, the spiritual leader of the Raelian Movement, reminds us: “Children are sexual beings from birth — even before! Sexuality education simply prevents them from developing guilt about their own sexuality.”
“On this 11th International SexEd Day, we reaffirm the fundamental right of every child, adolescent, and adult to receive sexuality education that is honest, inclusive, liberating, and pleasure‑affirming. The Raelian Movement maintains that true peace begins with fulfilled individuals — and fulfillment begins with an education rooted in love, science, and pleasure,” concluded Clémence Linard.
www.rael.org/SexEdDay
“In a world confronted with sexual violence, massive digital misinformation, growing social inequalities, and persistent traditions rooted in guilt and shame, it has never been more urgent to offer young people an education that affirms life, celebrates diversity, and fosters autonomy,” said Clémence Linard, M.A.Ed, spokesperson for International SexEd Day.
Recent international research reinforces this need. A large meta-analysis of 34 global studies conducted between 2011 and 2023—covering more than 30,000 young people—demonstrated that CSE is highly effective in improving cognition, decision-making, and emotional well-being. According to the authors, long-term, consistent sexuality education not only increases knowledge but also delays risky behaviors and reduces unintended pregnancies: “If children and adolescents receive coherent and sustained CSE, their present and future health and well-being are positively transformed.”
Similarly, a 2024 editorial in Frontiers in Reproductive Health emphasized that sexuality education must move beyond fear‑ or shame‑based approaches: “Evidence‑based, pleasure‑inclusive sexuality education is not a luxury — it is a human right.”
These findings resonate profoundly with the Raelian vision, in which sexuality education must be spiritually uplifting and firmly grounded in scientific truth. Linard highlights this essential dimension: “Young people have the right to be educated about pleasure, not only about risk prevention. CSE is about building the foundations needed to know oneself, to love oneself, and to respect others.”
“What is revolutionary in the Raelian approach is that it restores pleasure to its central role — a body‑mind harmony aligned with science, not shame,” she added.
Yet, despite growing evidence, resistance remains strong. The original UNESCO report on sexuality education, published in 2009 — remarkable for its defense of human rights in sexuality and its inclusion of the concept of pleasure — was quietly modified under pressure from religious lobbies, especially Catholic groups. These same lobbies continue to act today, particularly in France, where they conduct aggressive disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining young people’s rights and distorting the very meaning of CSE.
“For years, the Raelian Movement has urged UNESCO to republish the full, uncensored version of this report, out of respect for transparency, scientific integrity, and youth empowerment,” Linard noted. “No regressive religious or political pressure should ever influence science or research — and this is especially true for sexuality and education. An international institution like UNESCO must remain secular and impervious to all forms of religious influence.”
“In the digital age, where young people increasingly learn about sexuality online, these studies highlight the importance of meeting them where they are — not with fear or censorship, but with true digital literacy: critical thinking, media understanding, self-awareness, and joy. These findings reinforce the Raelian conviction that young people are not passive recipients but active seekers of truth, pleasure, and connection,” the spokesperson continued.
As Raël, the spiritual leader of the Raelian Movement, reminds us: “Children are sexual beings from birth — even before! Sexuality education simply prevents them from developing guilt about their own sexuality.”
“On this 11th International SexEd Day, we reaffirm the fundamental right of every child, adolescent, and adult to receive sexuality education that is honest, inclusive, liberating, and pleasure‑affirming. The Raelian Movement maintains that true peace begins with fulfilled individuals — and fulfillment begins with an education rooted in love, science, and pleasure,” concluded Clémence Linard.
www.rael.org/SexEdDay
 | Monday 17 November 2025 |  |  |