While people are often proactive and vigilant in reporting other crimes, they tend to downplay sexual harassment, treating it as a minor issue and opting to discuss it informally rather than report it, says an official at Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB).
Shafiga Murebwayire, the Division Manager for Anti-Gender-Based Violence Crimes and Coordinator of Isange One Stop Centres said people "must recognize sexual harassment as a serious offence and report it promptly to the appropriate authorities.”
The Rwandan criminal law defines sexual harassment as any act, gesture, expression, behaviour, or threat of a sexual nature, whether physical or psychological that is unsolicited, offensive, or demeaning to the targeted individual.
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Speaking during a dialogue on creating gender-responsive work environments, convened in Kigali on Wednesday, June 25, Murebwayire noted that although sexual harassment may not always result in visible harm, it inflicts psychological wounds that can take long to heal and have far-reaching effects.
"Sexual harassment erodes a victim’s mental and emotional wellbeing," she said.
"The damage may be invisible, but its manifestations are real: anxiety, depression, withdrawal from professional life, and diminished self-worth. In many cases, the psychological wounds run deeper than those from physical abuse,” she said.
The dialogue was organized by the Ministry of Public Service and Labour in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, and was attended by officials from the Gender Monitoring Office as well as representatives of civil society organizations, trade unions, and the private sector.
Murebwayire decried a growing tendency by some employers to conceal cases of workplace harassment rather than pursue justice.
"Some companies shield perpetrators instead of referring them to legal authorities," she said. "This impunity enables repeat offences. Justice serves not only to redress the victim’s suffering but also to deter potential offenders."
She said that if sexual offenders are not held accountable for their actions, "the cycle of abuse persists."
"When victims are denied justice, they carry the burden in silence, enduring stigma and trauma that often go unacknowledged,” Murebwayire said.
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The official also expressed concern about the misuse of internal reporting mechanisms, saying that if cases are not handled with care, they could result in compromised evidence and enable perpetrators to manipulate outcomes in their favor.
"In many cases, complaints are reported to internal committees where they are either downplayed or quietly resolved, often at the expense of critical evidence," she said. "We must prioritise formal, timely reporting to ensure accountability and protect victims."
She called for more robust induction programmes within institutions, noting that onboarding sessions should outline acceptable behaviour and reporting procedures.
Despite legal safeguards, underreporting remains high. A 2022 report by Transparency International Rwanda revealed that 39.3 per cent of gender-based corruption cases in workplaces are ignored, with only 9.4 per cent reported to relevant anti-corruption institutions. Some 20 per cent of victims confide in colleagues, 15 per cent confide in a relative, and only a fraction report cases to management.
The persistent silence is an issue that institutions are trying to address. The government has committed to safe and dignified workplaces through frameworks aligned with its Vision 2050 and the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2).