Empowering Women Through Feminist and Popular Education Movements: A Conversation with Sabrina Sénécal

A feminist and popular education movement, family planning campaigns for the right to sexuality education, contraception, abortion, equal rights between women and men and fights all forms of violence. and discrimination.

Sabrina Sénécal began studying educational sciences to become a CPE, but quickly found herself diverted towards training as a marriage and family counselor who notably addresses subjects of general sexuality, but also contraception and abortion. . By beginning this training, Sabrina Sénécal discovered the limits in the application of the law and access to contraception and information for all. She then committed herself to prevention against sexist and sexual violence.

Became responsible for the animation department within the family planning in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, she wants the law on sexuality education, namely 3 annual sessions at school, to be respected in order to prevent sexist and sexual violence. To do this, it organizes sexuality education sessions and not sexuality information sessions.

We don’t teach children about sexual relations, we don’t do practical work!

It is very important to adapt the speech to each age group and according to their questions, “there is no standard procedure” session. When we address a young audience, we talk more about their body, a lot about the notion of consent and that certain things are prohibited “their body belongs to them“. It is important to teach them to respect their bodies and those of others.

Teaching young children from an early age to obey, which is considered a form of politeness, poses a problem in the notion of consent. For example, when an adult obliges to say hello by giving a kiss does not mean that the kiss is obligatory in other circumstances. The notion of saying “no” while remaining polite is very important for later in sexuality. We also work a lot on emotions and feelings. All this to prevent violence, because unfortunately, there is a sharp increase in violence against women and one child in ten is a victim of incest.

Another important aspect discussed with Sabrina Sénécal is that of abortion, it is necessary to campaign for a chosen, consented and fulfilled motherhood. Since February 2022, Parliament has adopted the extension of the legal deadline for voluntary termination of pregnancy from 12 to 14 weeks. A law which is still not respected throughout the territory. She wanted to involve Sarah Dlongville, a family planning volunteer in the Somme who is carrying out a survey on access to abortion in this department in which, if you are concerned, you can still participate in order to list all the malfunctions. This will allow us to act as close as possible to needs.

Sabrina Sénécal specifies that pTo be able to make choices allowing you to live your sexuality well, it is necessary to have access to information and to be supported to go beyond the stereotypes involved in the construction of inequalities between sexes and sexualities. . Because unfortunately still too many young people get their information on social networks, which is very dangerous.

Find the entire show Hauts feminine with Sabrina Sénécal and the other episodes of the show on france.tv.