Evaluating Rwanda’s progress in addressing women’s sexual and reproductive health

The progress Rwanda has made in promoting and implementing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) policies, programmes, and commitments has gained widespread recognition. However, amidst the gains, there are still numerous untapped opportunities that hold the potential for further advancement. These possibilities encompass a wide range of areas, such as extending support to all adolescents (mainly in rural areas), diminishing the prevalence of unsafe abortion, and ensuring that no individual is left behind. This was unpacked at a side event of the Women Deliver Conference 2023, on July 19, themed, “Progress, Promise, Possibilities: Past and Future of SRHR in Rwanda.” ALSO READ: Women’s voices critical in healthcare decisions – First Lady According to Sandrine Umutoni, Director General of the Imbuto Foundation, Rwanda’s commitment to promoting gender equality can be seen in policies that ensure women’s representation at various levels of decision-making across different institutions, ranging from business to leadership and judiciary. The same dedication extends to health initiatives, particularly those focused on women, she said. Hassan Sibomana, Ag. Maternal, Child, and Community Health Division at Rwanda Biomedical Centre, said evidence is through the decrease in infant and maternal mortality rates among other things. ALSO READ: Rwanda among African countries with best vaccine coverage – new research Specifically, the data shows a significant decline from 1,071 per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 203 per 100,000 live births in 2020. And, Rwanda’s infant mortality rate was 33 deaths per 1,000 live births (DHS 2019/2020 estimates), down from 107 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000. He explained that this was particularly due to strong political commitment, improvement in the quality of antenatal care services, decentralisation of health facilities where each sector has at least one health centre, and the removal of financial barriers by introducing community-based health insurance (Mutuelle de Santé). In addition, increasing the number of health care providers in health facilities (nurses, midwives, and medical doctors), continuous capacity-building of health care providers through training, on-site training through mentorships, and increasing equipment and commodities in health facilities. He said great progress has been made in tackling financial and geographical barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and that young girls are being supplied with educational resources on the subject at various stages of schooling, among other things. However, as suggested by Ruth Levine, Vice President of Just Societies and Chief Learning Officer at the Lucile and Packard Foundation, there’s still much to be done especially at the community level. “As in many African and conservative societies, there’s still a bit of stigma and shame around the topic. Beyond the policies, there’s a need for more safe spaces for SRHR,” she noted. The main focus of the discussion during the side event was the importance of offering sexual reproductive health services to adolescents and young people. This approach is viewed as a way to empower them and prevent various risks that can arise from a lack of awareness, such as unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, sexual coercion and abuse, as well as negative consequences on education and opportunities for teenage parents.