The AWARE (About Women’s & Adolescents’ Reproductive Empowerment) project is an adolescent sex education initiative that aims to introduce visually appealing and comprehensive content to students. Its primary goals are to reduce stigmas surrounding sex education and address pressing issues such as teenage pregnancies, sexual abuse, and STIs. The project was carried out with the grant and support of the CFLI (Canada Fund for Local Initiatives). This support made it possible for us to launch a website and mobile application (AWARE Mongolia) featuring sex education content based on the Comprehensive Sex Education curriculum, tailored to the geography of Mongolia and the target age group.

To ensure the quality of the mobile application's sex education content, we decided to utilize the “International Guidance on Sexuality Education”, published by the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) as our main guideline. The outlined content, known as Comprehensive Sex Education, consists of six categories: Relationships, Values, Rights, Culture, and Sexuality; Understanding Gender; Violence and Staying Safe; The Human Body and Development; and Sexuality and Sexual Behavior. We compiled content from various authorized sources, with a majority coming from the “3-R trainers' kit: Rights, responsibilities and representation for children, youth and families”, published by the ILO (International Labor Organization).

For the mobile application, we decided that the main functionality should be a multiple-choice and true/false quiz format. This format allows users to test their knowledge acquired from the Comprehensive Sex Education content. The application features eye-catching illustrations, a points collection system, and gamification aspects intended to make the learning process more engaging. In addition, we actively engage with young audiences by providing easily accessible sex education information on topics such as STD prevention, contraception, and unwanted pregnancy through our social media channels (Instagram: @aware_mgl, Facebook: @AWARE Mongolia). Currently, we have approximately 25,000 online followers, and based on our latest data, we estimate that our content has reached at least 1 million accounts."

We collaborated with five schools in Ulaanbaatar city to introduce the project and organize a quiz game competition using the mobile application. We worked with the TomYo school in Ulaanbaatar, the 10th school in Khan-Uul district, the 107th school in Songinokhairkhan district, the 146th school in Bayangol district, and the 84th school in Bayanzurkh district. The target audience for these presentations and quiz competitions was students in grades 9 to 12 from the selected schools. We estimate that we reached at least 500 students during these efforts.

Through our efforts, including the baseline study on Mongolia's sex education curriculum, the launch of the mobile app, and the school visits, we have gained valuable insights into the current situation and how to approach and scale sex education initiatives. Sex education plays a crucial role in the development of a country like Mongolia, as it prepares and shapes future adults and parents, influences family planning, fosters respect for one another, and contributes to socio-economic development. We strongly believe that this project will continue to evolve and reach a larger audience with improved quality. We would like to sincerely thank the CFLI for their grant and support, as well as everyone who worked on and supported the project, including the app developer, research agency, media agency, and other team members, as well as the school administrations. The long-term vision of the project is to create an enabling environment that encompasses supportive policies, regulations, and funding, ensuring the availability and sustainability of comprehensive sexuality education at the local level, ultimately driving lasting change in the community.