Reseau des Femmes organization through SDSR _Rwanda project organized a campaign on youth’s sexual and reproductive health rights, the campaign which took place in Ndera Sector on 29th October ,2025, combining students from GS Ndera, parents, guardians, healthcare providers, local authorities and friends of the family from 6 villages of Ndera sector.
The campaign emphasized on reminding the youth that they no longer need to be followed by their parents while they seek for sexual and reproductive health services, As the new law n⁰ 026/2025 allows youth aged 15 and above to be able to access sexual and reproductive health on their own.
Talking to the journalists, parents showed their agreement with this new law, speaking that it should have been done before.
Mukampunga Euphrasie, a parent who lives in Ndera sector spoke about this “This new law is really good, because this day’s youth don’t behave well, sometimes we see a very young girl pregnant, which makes her to end up suffering anxiety and make her parents lose interest in her, because when a girl gets pregnant at early age, she drops out of school and stays at home. As a parent when you see her you feel sad, when you see your neighbor’s children studying while yours stays at home it makes you lose interest in her. But with this new law if a girl gets unpredicted pregnancy, she can go to health center and receive the support. Not like it used to be done before, where they would use traditional medicine and even risk to die. Parents have tried their best to discipline children but it doesn’t work, so there is no other way except from putting in practice that law.” She spoke.
Girls who have been victims of early pregnancies also agreed with this law, by saying that it will help reduce unpredicted pregnancies.
Uwase Diane, had been impregnated at 17 ages, which caused her to stop her studies while she was in S3, she narrated how important this new law is “It is really something good, for instance me and some youths have had consequences because of early pregnancy. You feel ashamed to approach your neighbors and people devalue you, because in most cases many pregnant girls don’t receive the support from people who impregnate them, we are responsible in each and everything. But this new law has helped many, for instance me I can go to health center and receive family planning services without being accompanied by my parent or guardian, if this law had been there before, I wouldn’t have been pregnant.” She explained.
Even if this law has been accepted, some parents has doubts that it may lead to the increase of sexual intercourse among youth.
Bazarama Marie Michelle Social Assistant in Reseaux de Femmes ,told them not to be worried about this. “One of the thing that shows that youth have sexual intercourse is the illness they catch, parents need to accept that their children have sexual intercourse non protected, they need to know that it is their responsibilities to prevent it ,they need to overcome the fear and speak to their children about sexual and reproductive health because if they don’t they will learn it from strangers who may even mislead them and cause them to get unpredicted pregnancies and sexual intercourse illness .They need to know that this law is going to prevent the consequences of unpredicted pregnancies which even bring misunderstanding into families.” She stated.
The campaign has a theme of “My right, my health” and it will be done in 15 sectors of Gasabo district to increase the awareness of the new law which gives right to youth aged 15 and above to access sexual and reproductive health services without the help of their parents.
