Gender-based violence undermines the health, dignity, security, and autonomy of its victims, yet it remains shrouded in a culture of silence.
Victims of violence can suffer sexual and reproductive health consequences, including forced and unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, traumatic fistula, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, or even death.
Sexual and reproductive health is important to us all, at all stages of our lives. Yet far too many people are denied their right to sexual and reproductive health.
The vast majority are girls and young women from vulnerable households. As a result, girls and young women tend to make uninformed decisions, making them face unexpected pregnancies and miss out on opportunities and rights reserved for them.
The best way to advocate for girls’ and women’s rights and gender equality, is by developing evidence-based interventions and speaking up.
Through in-depth researches, studies, and experiences hinged on gender-sensitive data collection, Empower Rwanda establishes the root causes of various issues, upon which remedial advocacy interventions are developed and implemented
Gender-based risks and vulnerabilities inhibit girls and young women from achieving their aspirations and potential.Some of these risks include early marriages, teen pregnancies, and sexual and gender-based violence. To address these, we invest in the socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women by integrating them into income-generating projects like horticulture, tailoring, livestock rearing, etc. With this, we contribute to the exiting government efforts of gender equality.
Girls and women constitute the biggest percentage of the world’s population, which ought to place them as pacesetters in education.
However, in so many societies, girls are still left behind due to cultural barriers, beliefs, and stereotypes. At Empower Rwanda, we are intentional at supporting girls and young women to stay in school. We provide school fees, scholastic materials and sensitize parents and girls about the importance of education.
