Members of the regional parliament on Wednesday, June 29, embarked on the final leg of their country consultations on a draft law meant to protect and facilitate the attainment of sexual and reproductive health and rights of people in the East African Community (EAC). About 50 Rwandan stakeholders met a team of the East African Legislative Assembly in a final public consultation in Rwanda. Patience Iribagiza, Executive Director of AFRO ARK, a local youth and women led organisation envisioning to create a gender equal generation, told The New Times that as a leader of a youth and women-led organisation, the bill is particularly important for a section of the population which is considered most at risk in issues related to sexual and reproductive health rights and services. She said: “This bill comes to reinforce the already existing policies and also help in the revision of some policies and guidelines in different partner states. Every person, including women, youths and people with disabilities, or the population that is lagging behind in terms of accessing related services are going to be fully recognised.” “It is long overdue because the people who need to use the bill have wanted to use it even earlier than it was initiated. Therefore, it’s long overdue in terms of human rights and accessing all the services it provides for. But at the same time, discussions always have different partner states involved and with different constitutions, laws and policies, this requires every country to be on board.” Donatha Gihana, chairperson of Komera, a community based organisation supporting girls’ education in Kayonza District, liked the fact that she was given the opportunity to contribute to the bill. “It is generally a very well drafted bill. From the Rwandan context, and as somebody working very closely with adolescent girls and SRH issues, I read the bill before the meeting and I noted that it has really taken note of a number of current and pertinent issues. For instance, there is an aspect around ensuring that teen mothers or adolescent girls who become pregnant are given the opportunity to go back to school. “The numbers of teen pregnancies have increased and this clause is an opportunity for these young girls. Also critical for me, is that there is the element of access and affordability of sexual reproductive health services. One big take away is that EAC member states are encouraged to allow access using universal health coverage such as Mutuelle de Santé (Community Health Insurance) here in Rwanda. Anybody who has Mutuelle de Santé will easily access SRH services.” The Bill was introduced five years ago, by former Rwandan representative Dr Odette Nyiramirimo. Lawmakers and other regional stakeholders such as Health Development Initiative (HDI), an independent non-profit organisation based in Kigali, are pushing for it to be passed and enacted as soon as possible. Like others, Gihana noted that discussions on the bill have taken long but, she said, since it is a regional bill, it is important to understand the “different issues within our different contexts.” Erick Mundia, a regional policy advisor and lawyer supporting work on drafting laws on SRH, noted that, among others, the legislation will play a big role in reducing deaths of mothers and babies in the region. “It puts emphasis on the quality of services provided for young people as well as adults who are seeking reproductive health services.” Bishop John Rucyahana, President of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC), said the bill is good “in the sense that it removes some obscurities in relation to the management of our society as far as the future is concerned.” “Being in a changing world, we must prepare society so that it can ably wrestle with challenges of the future. This bill therefore is good, even though there remain a few things to rectify so that it does not hamper anything in terms of culture, humaneness, and human dignity,” Rucyahana said.
