Huye, — Rwanda joined the rest of the world in marking the International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) with a call to strengthen protection and health services for adolescent girls, who continue to face heightened risks of HIV infection, teenage pregnancy, and gender-based violence.
This year’s celebration, held in Huye District, was organized by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Rwanda under the theme: “I am a Girl, I am Precious”.
The event brought together students from several secondary schools in the district to engage in creative performances and discussions on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
Adolescent Girls Still Disproportionately Affected:
Despite Rwanda’s remarkable progress in reducing new HIV infections and expanding access to reproductive health services, adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) remain more vulnerable compared to their male peers.
According to Rwanda’s 2024 HIV estimates, girls aged 15–24 account for more than 30% of all new HIV infections, even though they represent a small portion of the total population living with HIV.
The national HIV prevalence rate stands at 2.6%, but is nearly three times higher among young women (1.9%) than among young men (0.7%) in the same age group.
In addition, data from the **National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) shows that teenage pregnancy affects about 5% of girls aged 15–19, with the rate rising in some rural districts.
Between 2020 and 2023, more than 30,000 teenage pregnancies were recorded nationwide — a trend health experts say is fueled by limited access to accurate sexual education and youth-friendly health services.
AHF’s Community-Based Approach:
To address these challenges, AHF Rwanda has scaled up its network of Youth Corners and Youth Centers, which serve as safe spaces where adolescents can access confidential counseling, HIV testing, and information on contraception and gender equality.
“Our goal is to empower girls with knowledge and confidence to make informed choices about their health, future to contribute to Rwanda’s development,” said **Dr. Ferdinard Ndayisaba, the Cordinator AHF Southern Province.
“These spaces ensure that young people, both girls and boys, are not only recipients of services but also active participants in finding solutions to the issues they face including prevention of HIV/Aids and unwanted pregnancies.”
The centers also play a critical role in linking young people to treatment and prevention services, including HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and condom distribution, reaching thousands of adolescents each year.
Youth Voices at the Center:
In the weeks leading up to the Huye celebration, AHF conducted training sessions in nearby schools, equipping students with knowledge on SRHR, HIV prevention, and GBV.
Students showcased what they had learned through poems, drama, and songs, highlighting the root causes of teenage pregnancy and HIV — including stigma, misinformation, and unequal gender norms.
“We learned that talking about sexual health is not shameful — it is about protecting ourselves and our future,” said Diane Ineza, “The challenge remains with parent’s mindset that needs to be changed,”
There are 46 Youth Centers that offer a comprehensive range of programs in entrepreneurship, employment, health, and talent development. The government plan is to increase these facilities which have proven to be best spaces to educate and engage youths.
Progress and Ongoing Gaps:
Rwanda has made significant strides toward **universal access to education, SRH and HIV services, with over 95% of pregnant women receiving HIV testing** and **more than 90% of people living with HIV on treatment. However, gaps persist in reaching adolescents, particularly those out of school.
Batamuliza Mireille, the Permanent Secretary MIGEPROF said that attitudes have now changed, because now every child is treated like others, showing that a girl child also has value both in the family and in society.
She however stated that cultural stereotypes and derogatory language that discourages girls and makes even the most confident person afraid remains as a challenge to address.
Kankesha Annonciatha
At the grassroots, Kankesha Annonciatha the Huye Vice Mayor Social Affairs said that in collaboration with NGOs they are focusing on improving social mindsets to educate all children without gender discrimination.
“The support of NGO like AHF are providing the platform to change mindsets and through these youth centers we see testimonies of what happens in homes so as to take appropriate interventions to ensure child rights,”
Through the European Union funded Solutions for Supporting Healthy Adolescents and Rights Protection (SHARP) project (2022-2026), the Rwanda NGOs Forum on HIV/AIDS and Health Promotion (RNGOF) has focused on using youth and media SRH champs to ensure that adolescents, particularly girls, have increased awareness, access to high-quality Sexual and Reproductive Health services and commodities.
As the world marks the IDGC 2025, Rwanda can be assured ensuring that every girl is safe, healthy, and empowered to reach her full potential, following the passing of a law (in August) that allows adolscents to access SRH services without parental concent.
The bill was first tabled in 2022 but faced a setback after Members of Parliament (MPs) expressed concerns that such a law might encourage teenage promiscuity.
However, through advocacy and engagement of ogranisation involved in SRHR the original version- requiring parental consent was revised and retabled to allow minors to receive SRH services.
This is one of the success stories towards implementing the SHARP project program focus area of strengthening advocacy: Utilize the expertise of its partner organizations in research, gender, and adolescent health to push for positive policy changes that impact the health and well-being of young people. 
