The concrete objectives of this project were to create prerequisites for relationship and sexuality education in primary and secondary schools in Sweden and the Netherlands, addressing identified needs through the promotion of comprehensive sexuality education based on a positive approach. These objectives are linked to the priority area of 'Inclusion and diversity in all fields of education' through a methodological knowledge exchange between leading organisations in both countries, addressing cultural differences. We wanted to start a comprehensive partnership between rfsu and Rutgers, with the following objectives: · To develop a pleasure-based approach and apply it to the Dutch target group, as well as to create educational materials for those aged 16 and older; · To develop and test the pleasure-based approach on communication and consent with Dutch and Swedish target groups aged 10–12 years old; · Starting a broader collaboration that can later be expanded to other European countries.
Our project is motivated by the urgent need for comprehensive sexuality education tailored for younger pupils and for pupils in culturally and religiously diverse schools. Teachers in these settings often lack the necessary training and resources to navigate sensitive topics effectively (Van Ditzhuijzen et al., 2026). Relationship and sexuality education still lacks discussions about relationships, communication, and sexual pleasure, as requested by youth (Cense et al, 2020). Efforts to promote gender equality and diversity within schools foster safer environments for students. There's a crucial need to empower teachers with the knowledge and confidence to deliver age-appropriate relationship and sexuality education, starting discussions early on communication, empowerment, and consent. Our project updates the 'Do you want to' teaching material to incorporate religious and cultural diversity and age-appropriate discussions on norms and values affecting sexuality and relationships, addressing the needs of our target groups. 'Do you want to?' is a teaching material focusing on sexuality, communication, and consent, containing nine short films. It actively includes students of diverse backgrounds, personalities, and gender norms.