Role of Rwanda Parliamentarians in advocating for SRHR

-ICPD- IPU Resolution 2012

Rwandan Parliamentarians’ Network on Population and Development (RPRPD)

RPRPD and the ICPD Plan of Action

The Rwandan Parliamentarians’ Network on Population and Development has been created in 2003 as a parliamentary way to implement the ICPD Plan of Action.

ICPD states that the promotion of sexual and reproductive right is an essential instrument in the two main political and action fields:

• Sustainable development• Poverty reduction

• A group of 48 Deputies in 2003, of 76 committed parliamentarians (Senators and Deputies) today has done many achievements to meet ICPD agenda.

The main objectives of RPRDD• Promote and protect fundamental rights of the

entire population in general and those of women and children in particular;

• Encourage greater access to education for all by fighting against gender disparities;

• Support to the actions that contribute to the poverty reduction;

• Fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other endemic diseases;

• Promote family planning and sexual and reproductive health especially those of adolescents and young adults;

Country Background: A pronatalist nation• High mortality rate due to lack of immunization

and hygienic and sanitation measures• Colonial authority encourage many births for

manpower in mining and big plantation of tea, coffee, cotton, cassava…

• The Clergy encourage Christians to have many children and fill the world as God ordered Abraham;

• 1994 Tutsi Genocide increase pro-natalist mindset to replace more than 1 million lost

• There is no need to stabilize population

Rwanda Population Pyramid

-25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20

<5

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80 +

Male Female11,000,000 inhabitants (400 hab/km2)In Rwanda more than 50% of the population are under 18

More than 65% are under 25

Women 52%Men 48%

Key Events, Rwanda National Family PlanningProgram, Central Level

• 1999: Rwandan government begins to encourage the creation of community-based health insurance (mutuelles de sante)

• 2002/2003: Qualitative assessment of family planning in Rwanda conducted, Rwandan Parliamentarians’ Network on Population and Development formed (RPRPD)

• 2003: First National Reproductive Health Policy signed by the Minister of Health

• 2006: National FP policy and its five-year strategies (2006-2010)produced by MOH; initiation of FP secondary health posts

Key Events, Rwanda National Family Planning Program (Cont’d)

• 2007: Government declares family planning to be a development priority; Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (2008-2012) emphasizes importance of FP and sets target of 70% CPR by 2012

• 2011: Rwanda Family Planning Policy and Family Planning Strategic Plan, both for 2012-2016, and National Adolescent Sexual & Reproductive Health Policy and Strategic Plan, 2011-2015, all developed with stakeholders

Role of parliamentarians in advocating for SRHR• Stage 1: awareness that the reproductive health is a

priority for the reduction of poverty and for a sustainable development (RPRPD in 2003);

• Stage 2: Field visits and discussion with the population and all stakeholders, organizing public meeting and inform people on the importance of the issue and gather their interest

• Stage 3: Forming alliances with public interest groupsReligious and Civil societyStudents (University & secondary level)Local administrative authorities (executive

secretaries of sectors), Mayors.

• Stage 4: Persuading other legislative members to take up the cause, to vote laws or asking for a public hearing

• Stage 5: Using all form of media (radio, television, newspapers

• Stage 6: raising funds or other resources to support (government, UNFPA, UNICEF, DFID)

Results: Need of services

Reproductive health : National Priority

Total Fertility Rate : a rwandan woman has an average of 4.6 Children during her reproductive life; the CPR of Urban and rural woman are 3.4 and 4.8 respectively

Rwanda CPR increase MM Decrease

1071

750

487

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Year 2000 year 2005 Year 2010

Rwanda Decrease in maternal mortality

Rwanda Decrease in maternal mortality

Use of Modern Contraceptive Methods

Percentage of women in union utilizing any contraceptive method

Fertility Trends

CPR for women of reproductive age (15-49 years old) for the 3 year period preceeding the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2010

Rwanda Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 2001-2010

Trends in Maternal Health

94

3930

96

5245

98

69 69

Antenatal care Delivery assisted by skilled provider

Delivery in a health facility

RDHS 2005 RIDHS 2007-08 RDHS 2010

Trends in Child Mortality

Deaths by 1,000 live births

Vaccination of children aged 12-23 months

Trends in immunization coverage

Percentage of children aged 12-23 months fully vaccinated

FP/RH in Rwanda Law

FP/RH in Rwanda Law: Maputo Protocol

• June 24th, 2004 Ratification of The Maputo Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and the Rights of Women in Africa with reservation on its Art 14.2.c)

• Presidential Order No 05/01 of May 2012 lifting the reservation issued by the Republic of Rwanda on art. 14.2 c

Art 14: Health and Reproductive Health2.c “protect the reproductive rights of women by authorizing medical abortion in cases of sexual

assault, rape, incest, and where the continued pregnancy endangers the mental and physical health of the mother or the life of the mother or the foetus”.

FP/RH in Rwanda LawPenal Code voted on April 4th, 2012• Article 165: Exemption from criminal liability for abortion • 1° when a woman has become pregnant as a result of rape; • 2° when a woman has been subjected to forced marriage; • 3° when a woman has become pregnant due to incest in

the second degree; • 4° when the continuation of pregnancy seriously

jeopardizes the health of the unborn baby or that of the pregnant woman.

FP/RH in Rwanda LawPenal Code voted on April 4th, 2012

• Article 166: Requirements for exemption from criminal liability….

• A medical doctor….1° after the medical doctor finds that continuation of the pregnancy

would seriously endanger the health of the woman or that the unborn child cannot survive;

• Art. 239: Any person who, on grounds of marriage, commits violence or harassment against his/her spouse because of the spouse’s decision to practice family planning shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of at least two (2) months but less than six (6) months.

FP/RH in Rwanda Law

• Draft reproductive health bill under the Standing Committee on social affairs.

• This SRH Draft bill has been drafted by the Rwandan Parliamentarians’ Network on Population and Development (RPRPD)

Challenges

• Young population more than half of the Rwandan population is 18 year old;

• More resource to invest in education and health services;

• Cultural barriers which prevent family dialogue on SRHR;

• Closing rural-urban gaps with regards to accessing modern family planning methods.

The key opportunity: gender sensitive parliamentHow can we achieve this:

1.Increase the number and presence of women2.Develop a legal framework for gender equality

an gender sensitive work place policies3.Mainstream gender equality in all the work of

the parliament4.Remind men of their responsibilities to

achieve gender equality

How Can we keep momentum going on?Community Work (Umuganda): anopportunities for a Mass mobilization on population issues

Thank You!Thank You!MURAKOZE CYANEMURAKOZE CYANE Merci beaucoupMerci beaucoup!!