Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-07-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are supporting the government of Rwanda in its work to provide reproductive health choices to women and girls in Rwanda.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

DFID is supporting the Rwandan Ministry of Health to implement a Girls Empowerment Programme which is enabling 92,000 girls over three years to meet in safe spaces across the country. This programme is closely aligned with the Government of Rwanda’s own Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy. Girls are mentored and guided through a curriculum that includes sexual and reproductive health, prevention of violence and guidance on staying safe and healthy. The programme also includes ‘learning journeys’ during which girls have the opportunity to visit local health centres and to learn about the services that are available to support them, in particular around adolescent sexual and reproductive health.

Interim findings show that the programme is successfully building girls’ knowledge around sexual and reproductive health, as well as giving them the confidence and awareness of how to access more information and services.