Culture, religion and views of sex, gender and reproduction in Rwanda

1Three voices, one girl

After Uwase's first period, three people give her advice. Her grandmother says quietly that in her day such things were never discussed with parents; an aunt or a grandmother explained them. Her religion teacher says that her faith sees the body as a gift from God, to be respected. Her biology teacher explains the hormones of the menstrual cycle and reminds the class that, under Rwanda's Constitution, girls and boys have equal rights.

Uwase listens to all three. Must she choose one voice and ignore the others? This lesson looks at how culture, tradition, religion and the law shape views of sex, gender and reproduction in Rwanda, and how to understand and respect them side by side.

2Three sources of guidance

Figure 1: Three sources of guidance on sex, gender and reproduction. They do not always agree, but they share important values.

1. Culture and tradition

Rwandan culture places great value on the family (umuryango), on children, and on respect for elders. Researchers from the University of Rwanda and the University of the Witwatersrand who interviewed people working in health and education in Rwanda (published 2022) found that:

• sexuality has for generations been a taboo subject between parents and children, and some parents worry that giving information will encourage children to have sex;
• parents often send young adolescents to other members of the extended family, such as aunts, uncles and grandparents, for advice about growing up;
• there is a strong social expectation that young people will stay virgins until marriage, while some peers spread the opposite message.

The same research found that when families do not talk about these topics, young people often turn to friends and the media, whose information may be wrong. Sexuality education in school is meant to add accurate information to the values young people learn at home, not to replace them.

2. Religion: Christian and Islamic teaching side by side

Rwanda's Constitution makes the state secular (it has no official religion) and guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Many Rwandans follow a faith. The table shows the teaching of the two largest traditions on some of the questions in this unit. Within each faith, churches and scholars differ on some details, and many people follow other beliefs or none; ask your family or faith leader about the teaching of your own tradition.

3. The law

• Equality. The Constitution commits the state to "equality of all Rwandans and between men and women", with women holding at least 30 percent of positions in decision-making bodies (article 10), and forbids discrimination based on sex or religion (article 16).
• Marriage. Only a civil, monogamous marriage between a man and a woman is recognised; "No one can be married without his or her free and full consent", and spouses have equal rights (article 17).
• Protection of children. A child is anyone under 18. Any sexual act on a child is the crime of child defilement, and an adult who "marries" or lives with a child after defiling them faces life imprisonment (Law Nº 68 of 2018, article 133, as amended in 2023).

3Discuss (respectfully)

Agree on rules first: one person speaks at a time; talk about ideas, not about people; nobody has to share anything personal.

1. Give two examples of gender roles that have changed in Rwanda in the last fifty years, for example in schools, sport, work or leadership.
2. How can a young person respect their family's traditions and faith and still get accurate health information? Suggest two trusted sources.
3. Why do you think the research found that parents often ask aunts, uncles or grandparents to advise children? What are the benefits and the risks?