Right to Sexual and Reproductive Health Education 2016 that some students find it much easier to communicate their problems with their teachers rather than with their parents. SRHE also make young people more aware of the different forms of sexual abuse, provide them with information on how to prevent such abuse and guide them on how to report any incidences to relevant authorities. The information they gain at schools tend to have a higher overall impact on the development of their moral values, attitudes and teaches them to treasure each other’s wellbeing while increasing their own awareness of human rights. These values play an influential role in the decisions they make as adults, for themselves and their partners, when making informed choices regarding SRH. Consequently, these SRHE programmes need to be designed in order to fit into the Maldivian cultural and religious norms and practices. UNESCO, in its publication, International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education, defines SRH as, “an age‐appropriate, culturally relevant approach to teaching about sex and relationships by providing scientifically accurate, realistic, nonjudgmental information.”27 This study is the first SRH research with a rights‐based approach conducted by the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) and it aims to assess the availability and accessibility of SRH information to students, youth, and adults. The attempt was to use a right‐based approach to evaluate policies, strategies and programmes that have been carried out in the Maldives in relation to reproductive and sexual health. 27 UNESCO (2009). International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education: An evidence‐informed approach for schools, teachers and health educators, v(1). Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001832/183281e.pdf 9 INTRODUCTION