Welcome to TARSHI's Basics and Beyond eLearning Course on Sexuality, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights adapted from TARSHI's Basics and Beyond training manual by our team of experts.

What is new?

As you may know, in 2016, we updated and streamlined the original 50-hour course and are now offering it as two separate short courses: Part 1, Basics and Beyond Online Course on Sexuality and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Part 2, Beyond Basics Online Course on Sexuality and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.

The eLearning courses are available at a nominal fee. The Basics and Beyond Online Course (Part 1) is a pre-requisite for Part 2 of the course, i.e. Beyond Basics Online Course . In Basics and Beyond (Part 1), we focused on issues of sexuality (Module 1) and sexual and reproductive health (Module 2). Beyond Basics now takes a look at these topics in the context of human rights. It discusses how rights can be used to affirm the health and well-being of people, particularly with regard to sexuality and sexual and reproductive health. After an understanding of topics related to sexuality and sexual and reproductive rights through Part 1 of the course, we have found that learners benefit from an exploration of more complex issues and their impact: issues of power, stigma, marginalisation and disability, often overlooked in the context of sexuality.

Registration for this course is open only for those who have completed Part 1 of the course i.e. Basics and Beyond. Please follow this link to check your eligibility for Part 2 of the course. Once you enter your email address (the one used to register for Basics and Beyond, Part 1), you will be directed to the page with payment details. Your registration for Beyond Basics will be confirmed upon receipt of payment.

If you are not eligible for Beyond Basics and are interested in taking Part 1 of the course i.e. Basics and Beyond Online Course, please pre-register here and we will send you an email with all the information (including the fees and payment details) you need to take the course.

For more information on Part 2 of the course, please check the tabs below.

• What is the Beyond Basics Online Course Part 2 course about?

  In the first part of this course (Basics and Beyond), we saw that sexuality, sexual and reproductive health, and rights are complex and dynamic issues. And because sexuality is complex – being deeply personal yet highly socially regulated – it can often be difficult to address. New aspects to these topics constantly arise and can be approached differently at different points in one’s personal and professional lives, and in different contexts, cultures and times. It calls for appropriate, culturally relevant and creative training material to provide a multi-layered knowledge and understanding not just of factual information about bodies and how they operate sexually or of how infections are transmitted or prevented, or how contraceptives work.
  
  This second part of the course, Beyond Basics aims to develop an understanding of how these play out in a given socio-cultural context and an appreciation of how connecting sexuality to human rights makes for better health and improved well-being. It is important for an activist and/or facilitator to re-visit these issues from time to time in order to present them in a relevant and comprehensive way to one’s audience or in one’s work.
  
  The course takes a contemporary approach to sexuality-related capacity building, supported by TARSHI’s experience of over 20 years in working on sexuality and SRHR.
  
  It is hosted on an easy-to-access online interface and includes a wide range of learning styles, such as storytelling, academic articles and multimedia resources to help learners understand and introspect on sensitive and challenging issues. It also includes some time-bound, moderated interactive components that will help learners discuss and clarify concepts with fellow course mates and TARSHI resource persons.

• Who is it meant for? How will they benefit?

  Registration for this course is open only for those who have completed Part 1 of the course i.e. Basics and Beyond.
  
  Regardless of whether learners work in reproductive health interventions, sexuality education programmes, or sexual health clinics, integrating the ideas and information in this course into their work can make it stronger and more effective. It can be a challenge however, to apply the ideas and concepts in this course to the work and advocacy we do. How have individuals/ organisations successfully accomplished this before? What lessons can we learn from the successes and challenges of other campaigns and programmes? What principles do we need to apply to be effective and respectful of the people we work with? The last module of the course addresses these questions. It brings together topics from the other modules and illustrates how these can be used effectively to improve work in fields of sexuality, sexual and reproductive health, and advocacy.
  
  Since the course can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, it is designed to reach out to a large and diverse audience. When combined with classroom lessons or workshops, it can increase effectiveness of learning. As a participant of a time-bound course, learners get an opportunity to interact with a diverse group of people interested in Sexuality and SRHR from varied geographies.

• What are the objectives of the course?

  • To discuss a rights-based approach to sexuality, sexual and reproductive health, and advocacy
  • To shift from a conceptual understanding to practical application of a rights-based approach to advocacy
  • To connect the concept of power to issues of sexuality, sexual and reproductive health and human rights
  • To explore issues related to stigma, discrimination, and marginalisation in the context of sexuality
  • To understand how concepts and ideas discussed in earlier modules can be used for advocacy, and to increase awareness and knowledge
  • To provide tools, including how to incorporate values and principles into one’s work, ethical considerations, lessons from successful advocacy campaigns, and discussions on issues that affect populations around the world.

• What is the structure of the course?

  The Beyond Basics Online Course Part 2 contains three modules, each with individual chapters, exercises and assignments. The chapters combine technical content with programme principles, best practices, and case studies.
  
  Each module is expected to take 8-10 hours to complete. Each chapter is highly focused, and can be completed in approximately 75 - 90 minutes.
  
  Module 1: Sexual and Reproductive Rights
  The first module takes a look at Reproductive and Sexual Rights in the context of Human Rights. It discusses how rights can be used to affirm the health and well-being of people, particularly with regard to sexuality and sexual and reproductive health.
  
  Module 2: Going Beyond Basics
  A module where learners can begin an exploration of more complex issues and their impact: issues of power, stigma, marginalisation, and disability, in the context of sexuality.
  
  Module 3: Making it Work
  The last module of the course brings together topics from Part 1 of the course as well as the other modules of this course to illustrate how these can be used effectively to improve work in fields of sexuality, reproductive and sexual health, and rights.

• About Previous Courses

  We received overwhelming responses from different parts of the world for the Spring and Fall Courses of 2015. Eventually, 53 people from Bangladesh, Germany, Italy, India, Jordan, Kenya, Nepal, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sweden and Zimbabwe successfully completed the course and were awarded certificates. Learners included researchers, students, trainers, development professionals, grant makers, health professionals and corporate sector workers.
  
  Analysis of learners’ responses displayed a deepening of understanding around sexuality and sexual and reproductive health and rights. A shift in perspective could be seen on issues related to rights of marginalised communities such as sex workers, people living with HIV and people living with disabilities. Learners appreciated the videos, examples and illustrations on various issues related to SRHR which were provided throughout the course. They were appreciative of the quality of discussions on the closed Facebook group forum and we hope to invite some of the previous participants to engage with the upcoming course participants and enrich the experience for all concerned. One of the learners from last year, Dr Sharada Vinod Kutty, shared:

  Dear TARSHI, as a doctor, I have been quite disconnected from the social sciences. It was a wonderful journey of self-discovery as I navigated my way through the course. It helped me question and clarify a lot of my misconceptions! I truly believe that this course will help me function as a more empathetic medical care provider! Thank you and keep rocking.