Activists have proposed amendments to the 2016 law on human reproductive health, which prohibits the provision of contraceptive services to people under 18 years of age without parental consent. The activists and lawyers, who held a meeting on Friday, September 6 to discuss the legal restriction, said allowing people under 18 to get contraceptives would help address the issues of teenage pregnancy. They highlighted other laws that determine instances where minors can make decisions or be held accountable for their actions. The labour law allows 16-year-olds to sign employment contracts and the law on criminal offences and penalties provides that 14-year-olds can be tried in the courts of law under certain circumstances. ALSO READ: Breaking barriers: Road to reshaping sexual, reproductive health for Rwandan youth “The law needs to evolve to allow young people, especially those between 12 and 18, to access necessary reproductive health services independently,” said Rose Mukantabana, a lawyer and women's rights activist. “The age requirement in the reproductive health laws is inconsistent with other Rwandan laws, which allow minors to take on significant responsibilities,” the lawyer said. “For instance, children aged 16 can sign employment contracts, while those aged 14 can be held accountable in criminal cases. These inconsistencies raise questions about why minors are considered capable of making decisions in some areas of their lives but not in matters of their reproductive health.” ALSO READ: Evaluating Rwanda’s progress in addressing women’s sexual and reproductive health Xaverine Uwimana, the coordinator of Réseau des Femmes Oeuvrant pour le Développement Rural, which also shares a similar stance on the law, highlighted other issues surrounding reproductive health and sex education to children. Uwimana said children should be given comprehensive knowledge about their sexual health. She added that more community engagement and education are needed to improve Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). “Our organization has developed a booklet summarizing Rwanda's reproductive health laws, which will be used in community sensitization efforts. These outreach initiatives will focus on educating both young people and their parents about reproductive health and rights,” said Uwimana. “We are not promoting family planning for young children,” she noted, adding that their focus was on “empowering young people with information they need to make informed decisions about their health.” “We also want to equip parents with the tools to have open and constructive conversations with their children about these issues,” she said. ALSO READ: Minister triggers discussion on access to contraceptives for young people The organisation plans to submit the suggested amendments to the law on reproductive health in order to make reproductive services more accessible for young people. The activists also said there was a shortage of hospitals and qualified doctors, particularly in rural areas, to provide safe abortions as stipulated by law. They suggested empowering other medical professionals such as nurses and midwives to offer these services.
