
Rwanda reformed its abortion law in 2012, but legal barriers and cultural and religious stigma make it nearly impossible for women to get a safe, legal abortion. Women with unplanned or unwanted pregnancies resort to unsafe and illegal abortions—and Rwandan police unjustly harass, arrest, prosecute and imprison hundreds of women and girls on abortion or infanticide-related charges each year. This report, by Ipas and Great Lakes Initiative for Human Rights and Development, shares findings from interviews with women, judges, legal defense lawyers, and police officers, and calls on the Rwandan government to take steps to address this ongoing human rights violation.

This two-page fact sheet is drawn from a report by Ipas and the Great Lakes Initiative for Human Rights and Development on the legal and human rights impact of Rwanda’s 2012 abortion law. The report found that Rwandan police unjustly harass, arrest, prosecute and imprison hundreds of women and girls on abortion or infanticide-related charges each year and calls on the Rwandan government to take steps to address this ongoing human rights violation.

Cette fiche d’information de deux pages est tirée d’un rapport publié par Ipas et l’organisation Great Lakes Initiatives for Human Rights and Development qui décrit l’impact juridique et sur les droits de l’homme de la réforme que le Rwanda a introduite en 2012 sur sa législation relative à l’avortement. Ce rapport a révélé que la police rwandaise harcèle, arrête, poursuit et emprisonne injustement chaque année des centaines de femmes et d’adolescentes accusées d’avortement ou d’infanticide et exhorte le gouvernement rwandais à prendre toutes les mesures nécessaires pour que cesse cette violation permanente des droits de l’homme.

Rwanda reformed its abortion law in 2012, but legal barriers and cultural and religious stigma make it nearly impossible for women to get a safe, legal abortion. Women with unplanned or unwanted pregnancies resort to unsafe and illegal abortions—and Rwandan police unjustly harass, arrest, prosecute and imprison hundreds of women and girls on abortion or infanticide-related charges each year. This report, by Ipas and Great Lakes Initiative for Human Rights and Development, shares findings from interviews with women, judges, legal defense lawyers, and police officers, and calls on the Rwandan government to take steps to address this ongoing human rights violation.
