Introduction

On August 4, 2025, the Rwandan parliament passed the Law Regulating Healthcare Services, making key reforms that broaden access to sexual and reproductive health care. The law came into effect on September 18, 2025, following its publication in the Official Gazette. The law lowers the age of consent for accessing health services, including sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care, from 18 to 15 years, empowering adolescents to make informed decisions about their health. It also establishes comprehensive guidelines for the provision of assisted reproductive technologies, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), ensuring safe, ethical, and equitable access to fertility care in Rwanda.

This milestone is the result of sustained advocacy by the Center for Reproductive Rights, working in partnership with the Health Development Initiative (HDI), the Great Lakes Initiative for Human Rights and Development (GLIHD), and other civil society organizations in the country. 

It represents a bold and decisive step towards guaranteeing adolescents the full exercise of their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). For the first time, adolescents aged 15 and above are able to seek contraception, HIV prevention, and other SRH services and information without parental or third-party consent. 

The reform addresses a long-standing legal barrier that has kept young people from accessing timely, life-saving, and dignifying care. The parental consent requirement has contributed to high rates of teenage pregnancies, with devastating consequences including interrupted education, heightened poverty, and serious health risks. Between 2020 and 2022 alone, the number of teenage pregnancies rose from about 19,700 to more than 24,400, underscoring the urgency of action. 

Youth & public support

Driving policymakers forward with youth and public support

For years, the Center has engaged closely with Rwandan government institutions to push for reforms that remove outdated legal provisions—particularly those that create barriers to SRH information and services. Our advocacy efforts have emphasized the need to comply with regional and international human rights standards, ensuring that reform processes create equitable access to essential health care. 

A critical part of this advocacy has been ensuring that adolescents’ perspectives are heard and considered during the legislative process. To this end, HDI convened sessions where young people spoke directly to lawmakers about the barriers they faced in accessing SRH information and services. Their testimonies gave real-life weight to the statistics and reinforced the urgent need for reform. 

National advocacy efforts also focused on building public support. HDI and GLIHD hosted radio programs, created digital campaigns, and held community meetings to highlight the importance of adolescent SRH access. They also convened civil society organizations to present a united front, including submitting a joint brief to Parliament in support of the bill. These community-focused efforts helped challenge stigma, create public buy-in, and prepare the ground for effective implementation of the new law. 

International engagement

Building momentum through international engagement

This win was also shaped by strategic engagement with international human rights bodies. In May 2024, the Center, HDI, and GLIHD jointly submitted a shadow report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) documenting Rwanda’s gaps in adolescent SRH.  

The report highlighted the high unmet need for contraception among adolescents, with nearly 60% of sexually active girls aged 15–19 unable to access the services they needed. It also identified legal and social obstacles—including conflicting laws, stigma, and limited clinic access—and recommended legal reforms that would allow minors aged 15 and above to access contraception without parental consent. 

Echoing these concerns, the CEDAW Committee recommended in June 2024 that Rwanda remove parental consent requirements for girls aged 16 and 17 to access contraceptives, adding significant international weight to the domestic advocacy efforts. 

In April 2025, the Center, HDI, and GLIHD also made a submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty, linking adolescent SRH access to broader issues of poverty and inequality. This advocacy was reflected in the Special Rapporteur’s end-of-mission statement, which highlighted the impact of teenage pregnancies on education and life opportunities for girls. 

Toward better health

Leading the way toward better adolescent reproductive health 

Under the previous law, adolescents often had to wait until they turned 18 or were married to access SRH services without parental consent. This left many vulnerable to unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and unsafe abortions. 

The new law empowers adolescents aged 15 and above to take charge of their health, aligning with human rights standards and public health best practices. For young people, this means fewer missed opportunities for prevention, greater autonomy over their bodies, and a better chance to pursue education and life goals without the disruption of unplanned parenthood. 

This legal reform also positions Rwanda as a regional leader on adolescent reproductive rights. Many African countries still maintain restrictive consent laws that block young people from essential health services. The Rwandan example demonstrates how sustained advocacy, strong partnerships, and evidence-based policymaking can deliver transformative change.

As we celebrate this win, the focus now shifts to implementation and awareness. The Center and its partners will continue working with the Ministry of Health to raise awareness of the new law, support the development of clear guidelines for health providers, and monitor compliance to ensure adolescents are not turned away from services they are legally entitled to. 

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