The bill, which was approved in principle on November 5, 2024, officially entered the review process on February 17, 2025.
One of its key provisions states that individuals aged 15 and above have the right to make independent decisions regarding their access to reproductive health information and services.
According to the explanations provided, the term "age of maturity" in this law refers to individuals aged 15 and above.
Statistics from the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion indicate that 22,454 teenage girls were victims of sexual abuse and became pregnant in 2024, highlighting the severity of the issue.
In 2020, 19,701 teenage pregnancies were recorded, increasing to 23,111 in 2021 and 24,472 in 2022. However, in 2023, the number slightly decreased to 22,055.
Health authorities affirm that previous prevention methods, such as abstinence and condom use, have not yielded sufficient results, hence the need to facilitate adolescents' access to family planning services.
The Sixth Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) reveals that some women aged 15-19 have undergone abortions, are currently pregnant, or are already mothers taking care of children.
A significant number of these young mothers come from rural areas and have only completed primary or secondary education.
The study also shows that 4.5% of girls engaged in sexual activity before turning 15, compared to 10.1% of boys. Some of these young individuals had children before reaching the age of 15.
Provisions on surrogacy
The draft law also includes a provision allowing surrogacy for individuals aged between 21 and 50 who meet specific requirements.
If enacted, this service would only be available to married couples struggling with infertility.
The first surrogacy services provided in Rwanda cost approximately 3.5 million Rwandan francs . However, the cost is expected to decrease once it is integrated into health insurance services.
According to the law, the legal mother of a child born through assisted reproductive technology is the one recognized in the formal agreement related to the procedure.
Surrogacy was first introduced in 1986 with the birth of the first baby conceived through this method. Since then, it has gained popularity, particularly in developed countries.
For example, in the United States, approximately 750 babies are born annually through surrogacy.
IGIHE
