THE RISE OF SEX EDUCATION DESPITE PREJUDICE

Today, a lot of importance is attached to sexual and mental health issues, especially
when it comes to women. There is more and more advocacy of open communication,
expressing opinions, views and knowledge on topics that were often considered as
inconvenient. However, in Middle Eastern societies sexual health is still treated as taboo. To
break this pattern, the woman took the matter into her own hands and has started to change
these static perspectives. This bold woman is Egyptian activist Nour Emam and she is the
founder of the platform MOTHER BEING.

It all started when Nour gave birth to her daughter and has encountered some
complications that have finally resulted in her suffering from postpartum depression. Nour’s
diagnosis and the overall state has led her to the understanding of how much she does not know
about her body and health, but also how many more women are out there in the same position
as herself. To win her struggles, yet to assist other Middle Eastern women, she created
MOTHER BEING, whose main aim is to educate and provide with all necessary information.
Whether it is on female bodies, pregnancy, birth, pleasure, that is anything that would break
the chain of misconceptions and unawareness imposed by society.

Nevertheless, before putting herself out there publicly, Nour has gained solid
knowledge by finishing a doula training program and another one in postpartum depression
management. After that, with the start of 2020, Nour’s teaching has begun.

The primary objective was to create, as much as possible, accessible online education
for all Middle Eastern women. In the Middle Eastern culture, young girls, but also boys, cannot
talk about sexuality and reproductivity with families, nor there is sex education available in
schools. Furthermore, a lot of information is difficult to be found, making its accuracy is often
questionable. So, when reaching an adult age, most of them are bodily illiterate and unaware
of the possible dangers regarding sex. As a result, Nour has established a safe space where
taboos and shame are broken and the boundaries are being pushed. It is important to openly
talk and share knowledge about a topic that forms an integral part of human life.

As the platform MOTHER BEING started to gain interest, Nour decided to broaden her
content, including courses (e.g. ‘Periods, Mastering your cycle’, ‘The birth crash course’ and
‘Pleasure principles: sex re-imagined’) and commence with female-only monthly open
discussions called ‘Monthly women circle’, where they deal with particular topics. Due to the
versatility of the platform, men can find their little space and comfortably find answers to their doubts.

Undoubtedly, Nour Emam is just at the beginning of changing viewpoints in Middle East societies. Her relaxed energy, humour and realness, help women to be at peace with their bodies, struggles and health. All the changes, feelings, pleasures, it is all normal and accepted. She might be one of the first loud advocates in her culture fighting for normalization and acceptance of one’s sexuality and reproductivity, but will not be the last one.