One of the major challenges facing Rwandan society today is teen pregnancies. Many of the teen mothers have been the victim of defilement or exploitation at the hands of shameless older sex predators. Yet, this is potentially a fraction of the real problem, since some of the sexual abuses don’t lead to pregnancy. Although there was marginal decline in teen pregnancy last year with cases falling below 20,000 – despite initial fears that 2020 could turn out to be the worst year yet as far as this scourge is concerned – the rate remained considerably high and worrying. In the years that followed the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwandan girls have generally enjoyed equal rights as boys, with significant gains in access to equal education, healthcare, labour market, among other areas. However, many girls and indeed women continue to be vulnerable to defilement and rape, which severely undermines the impressive gains made in almost all the other aspects of life. At the heart of this endemic problem is impunity, partly fuelled by fear for stigma on the part of the victims’ family, or parents/guardians who are bribed into silence by the abusers. Indeed, there is a need for sustained holistic effort to ensure that every sex offender is brought to book, regardless of their status or connections. Anything that could help curb the vice is welcome. That’s why the decision by the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) to finally publish the names of all definitely convicted sex offenders is a commendable move, which should help scare off potential predators – at least some. The decision, announced on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl on Monday, October 11, saw NPPA publish the names of 322 sex convicts. Nonetheless, as previously argued on these pages, the sex offenders’ registry itself is not enough. More efforts need to be invested in community-based prevention interventions and ending impunity. No effort should be spared to protect our girls – and indeed our boys – to help secure this country’s future.
