IMRO Ihorere Munyarwanda, a Non-Government Organization operating in Rwanda, is concerting efforts on linking together Civil Society Organizations focusing on sexual reproductive health to raise their voice in advocacy.
IMRO Ihorere Munyarwanda Organization is now holding trainings which are focusing on sexual reproductive health rights and HIV prevention where different trainees will profits much.
The NGO has been operating in Rwanda for 20 years concentrating on the districts of Kirehe,Huye, Ruhango,Nyamasheke,Rusizi and Gasabo to empower communities collaborating with different stakeholders to reduce stigma and discrimination among women of reproductive age by ending unsafe abortion.
The six districts have been empowered with 300 local law enforcement officials to complement 300 community stakeholders and 300 selected teen mothers to help end unsafe abortion in their communities.
IMRO also held meetings with officials in the districts of Nyarugenge, Rubavu,Musanze,Muhanga and Rusizi to raise awareness and advocacy so that locals in their communities can know their Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, SRHR. The meetings brought together 150 teen mothers and 150 stakeholders in their communities in training about the use of contraceptives, methods of using them, importance of attending the parents’ evening forum, be among youth centers, to participate in monthly community work,community gethering meeting and also through amasibo in every village.
Women at the community level still have barriers to having legal third party authorization to access health services by those of below 18 years, they cannot have comprehensive sexuality education, there is less SRHR services, youths adolescent SRHR programs lack sufficient funds, and social-cultural remain unaddressed.
The barriers contradict with the SRHR strategic plan to be implemented between 2018 and 2024 that lays priorities for the health sector designed to ensure that, “all women,men,adolescent girls, boys in Rwanda have universal access to quality integrated family planning and adolescent SRH information and services in an equitable, efficient and sustainable manner.”
Information on SRHR remains of importance to youths and adolescents as laid in the strategic plan.
Youth, 57% of the population in Rwanda, need more access to quality Family planing and ASRH services, to know more about the appropriate contraception age, to have a curriculum on Sexual Education.
Half of the youth population in Rwanda said normally has causal sex, a study done in 2015 noted that 24.9% had causal sex between the ages of 15 and 24 years old in 12 months, 31.3% used a condom,4.4% had forced sex and 26.7% showed comprehensive knowledge on HIV prevention.
Pregnancies are also not intended to conceive as studies done in 2017 showed, that 17337 teenagers had unwanted pregnancies but in 2018 that number had reduced to 9172. Another study by CLADHO showed that 13% of girls had knowledge on ASRH,22% on SGBV and only 31% on Child Rights.
Rwandan Government to realize that women fundamental rights are upheld per the Maputo protocal, decided to remove requirements to obtain a court authorization to abort signed by two doctors to ensure the abortion is safe. </p>
Government expects that the removal of the requirements will reduce of the rate of maternal mortality and morbidity resulting from unsafe abortion.
Removal of all administrative barriers that make abortion a difficult medical right for women is importantly needed especially in the legal sector where they are more restricted by stringent laws on abortion
There is also need to socially change norms that traditionally make abortion and attainance of SRHR services difficult.
