Young people have the right to lead healthy, productive lives. Yet, access to sexual and reproductive health information and services remains a substantial challenge for millions of youth in Pakistan. Without adequate access to these services, young people lack the knowledge and skills required to make safe decisions. This makes them vulnerable to coercion, unintended pregnancy, unplanned births, unsafe abortion, HIV and other STIs and the morbidities and mortality associated with early childbearing.

Life Skills-Based Education (LSBE) – also known as comprehensive sexuality education – equips young people with the skills to make responsible decisions for their health and well-being. Because the programme has a human-rights approach, it also advances gender equality and the sexual and reproductive health rights of young people. Adapted to suit different age groups, cultures and needs of young people, it has shown to reduce risky behaviors, address gender and power issues and delay sexual debut.

Working closely with governments and civil society organizations, UNFPA advocates for LSBE across the country, targeting youth both in- and out-of-school environments. Working in a variety of environments - from policy-level advocacy to community outreach, UNFPA works to standardize the programme nation-wide.

In efforts to build foundational evidence to help inform further programme implementation, UNFPA has most recently mapped and documented LSBE programmes already implemented over the past two decades. The findings from the study will help inform national LSBE programmes and policies.

LBSE is embedded in many international agreements and frameworks, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Life Skills Based Education is also embedded in National Education Policy and Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Youth Policy.