What we do
Our team at GenWest deliver sexual and reproductive health education to communities across Melbourne’s West.
Our workshops provide a comprehensive understanding of human sexuality, covering topics ranging from contraception and pregnancy options, to consent and healthy relationships. They are strengths-based and give young people the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions about their lives and their bodies.
We also provide training to professionals working with young people, and offer guidance to parents/caregivers on how to approach topics and support the young people in their lives around sexual and reproductive health.
The workshops support young people, their parents/caregivers, and professionals to understand:
- Boundaries
- Consent
- What healthy relationships look like
- Limiting gender stereotypes
- The law and their rights
- Online safety
- How to advocate for themselves
We are informed by the knowledge that nuanced, evidence-based and sex-positive sex and relationship education:
- Leads to safer and more consensual sex
- Has a significant positive effect on sexual health across all life stages
- Is vital to our overall wellbeing and quality of life.
We view our work through a gendered and intersectional lens. Sexual and reproductive health is a human right, and comprehensive SRH education and access plays a vital role in increasing gender equity and decreasing gender-based violence.
Our work aligns with Victoria’s mandatory consent education and respectful relationships curriculum, while also working to address key gaps in knowledge about sexuality, pleasure, communicating with partners, porn and sexting.
We also partner with organisations and community members with lived experience to share expertise and ensure our workshops are inclusive and accessible.
Our work
We work with diverse young people and communities in a variety of settings.
Through educating young people and communities around sex and relationships, we aim to create a safer, healthier and more equitable society.
Culturally safe education
Our Human Relations Program, which we facilitate at the Western English Language School (WELS), is unique in providing sexuality and relationship education to newly arrived young people from diverse cultural backgrounds. The program is delivered in-language in a way that is accessible, culturally safe and tailored to their needs. Sexual health and gender equity experts who work with migrant communities facilitate workshops with students. Interpreters also support students to engage with the content and their peers in their own language.
Sexuality, consent and the law
Our sexuality, consent and the law workshops aim to empower young people to understand their rights, and make choices informed by understanding consent and respectful relationships. We’ve partnered with legal experts to develop these workshops which combines a legal framework with sex-positive principles. We’ve delivered these sessions to young people in a variety of settings, including non-mainstream educational settings such as out-of-home care.
How to book
We provide consultation and the delivery of educational programs across a wide range of settings. To discuss further, please fill in the form below to set up a meeting. We will have an initial meeting to discuss your needs and priorities and our education sessions will be tailored from there!
Fill in our request form and provide some information about your workshop or event. One of our team members will then get in touch with you!
