In 2024, Haguruka formalize a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Rwanda Forensic Institute (RFI) focused on bolstering forensic science capacity among healthcare professionals involved in GBV cases. Haguruka led extensive training programs for 96 medical doctors and 96 nurses, emphasizing best practices in evidence collection, documentation, preservation, and chain of custody. The training incorporated trauma-informed care principles to create a supportive environment for victims, encouraging them to share information and facilitate more effective evidence gathering. Crucially, the partnership aimed to decentralize access to essential services like DNA testing for victims, especially teen mothers. Public awareness campaigns were launched to reinforce the importance of preserving forensic evidence in cases of GBV.

The training empowered medical professionals to handle GBV cases more effectively and with greater sensitivity. Improved documentation, adherence to the chain of custody, and the implementation of trauma-informed care protocols resulted in a significant increase in the quality and reliability of forensic evidence. This directly contributed to a stronger legal foundation for GBV cases, resulting in more successful prosecutions and a greater deterrent effect on perpetrators.

“We have been managing evidence storage, but we faced challenges in proper documentation and preservation. This training has equipped us with essential skills that will enable us to ensure accurate and complete information is provided to the police. We are now better prepared to support GBV case management effectively.” – Nizeyimana Jean Damscène, Gisenyi Hospital, Rubavu District.

The partnership fostered a more collaborative approach among various institutions (such as the RIB, MINISANTE  and MIGEPROF) involved in GBV response. Improved referral mechanisms and enhanced awareness of victims’ rights, promoted through targeted outreach, further solidified the systemic shift towards better support for survivors. This initiative underscores the collective responsibility in achieving justice, empowering the community and victims to actively participate in the process.

Accurate information is essential because many young people may start being sexually active earlier than expected. This emphasizes the importance of having open conversations about sex, relationships, and reproductive health with both girls and boys. Educating young people on these topics can help prevent unwanted pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). NIYONSHUTI PACIFIQUE

In my Muslim community, sexual reproductive health isn’t openly taught, as it’s viewed as a sacred subject. One common misconception I learned was that acne and breast size are linked to sexual activity, which isn’t true at all! Thinking back, I wasn’t comfortable talking to my mom about periods. I asked classmates or even our helper instead. I believe parents should be friends with their kids so they can talk openly about these things. This prevents them from seeking information elsewhere, which could lead to misinformation and teenage pregnancy.ISINGIZWE MUVANDIMWE ALIDA

Many young people have misconceptions about reproductive health. They might think a woman can get pregnant at any time or that not having their period means there is no pregnancy risk. There is a need for awareness about the potential for contracting  transmitted diseases during unprotected sex.  PATRICK IGABE

After the training, I realized that reproductive health isn’t just a “girls’ thing”. It’s equally important for boys to understand their sexual and reproductive health and rights. It’s not just about preventing pregnancy for girls; it’s about making informed choices and protecting our lives. HIRWA JEAN LUC

 

I used to have misconceptions about reproductive health, thinking that women couldn’t get pregnant during their periods and that pregnancy wasn’t possible before a woman’s first period. However, our training sessions helped clear up these misunderstandings. Young people often turn to unreliable sources for information, which can lead to misinformation and poor decision-making. With proper education and guidance, we can learn to manage our impulses and make better choices in the future. UWANYIRIMPUHWE FAUSTINE

I previously held misconceptions about reproductive health, believing women couldn’t get pregnant during their periods and that pregnancy wasn’t possible before a woman’s first period. However, our training sessions dispelled these inaccurate ideas. Young people often seek information from unreliable sources, leading to misinformation and potentially poor decisions. With proper education and guidance, we can learn to manage impulses and make better decisions in the future. UMUHOZA VANESSA

 

Having grown up in homeless shelters since I was six, I didn’t have the chance to learn about reproductive health from my family. My parents’ separation and their conflicting advice only added to my confusion. However, learning about sexual and reproductive health in a group setting was comforting. Given my lack of consistent parental guidance, I believe that the government and other stakeholders should work to provide reproductive health education to children, especially those who do not receive this support at home. NIYIBIZI NASILI

When I first got my period, I felt too shy to talk to my mom, and she seemed uncomfortable as well. She just told me to ask my sister about pads. I strongly believe that parents should be more open and communicative with their children about reproductive health. It’s essential for young people like me to learn about these topics, as many of us don’t realize that pregnancy can occur before a girl’s first period. Young people can also play a role in educating peers about reproductive health. If a parent isn’t available or feels uncomfortable, a sibling can be a great source of support.   JOLIE MUREKATETE

The alarming rise in domestic violence, with reported spousal violence increasing from 40% in 2015 to 46% in 2020, underscores the urgent need for intervention. Recognizing this, a high-level dialogue was organized kicking off the 16 Days Of Activism campaign 2024  in partnership with the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, UN Women, Haguruka, and RWAMREC, convened to address the issue of building GBV-free families.

The dialogue brought together key stakeholders, including government representatives, gender equality experts, GBV survivors, and community leaders, and explored the multifaceted causes of family instability. Key objectives included promoting family-centred approaches, strengthening community-based interventions and structures to prevent all forms of violence that hinder human potential development, raising awareness of the impact of positive parenting on children’s development to ensure sustainable families free from GBV, highlighting emerging GBV issues, including tech-facilitated GBV, and discussing existing preventive measures and response mechanisms.

In her keynote remarks, Consolee Uwimana, the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion highlighted the importance of dialogue in analyzing root issues within families: “We need to assess issues in families deeply, and this dialogue is crucial.”

Presenting the enablers and predators of family stability and resilience, researcher Reverien Interayamahanga emphasized the root causes of family conflict, such as ineffective communication, poverty, aggressive behaviours, infidelity, and harmful peer influence. He noted the devastating consequences these conflicts have for children, leading to increased school dropout rates, drug abuse, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges.

Panelists stressed the need for a comprehensive, multifaceted approach. Umurerwa Ninette, Executive Secretary of Haguruka, urged coordinated efforts at all levels and prioritized GBV court cases: “We need to ensure that cases of victims delayed in courts are given priority. We advocate for a specialized court for GBV cases.” Murangira B. Thierry, Rwanda Investigation Bureau spokesperson, underscored the role of social media in perpetuating violence, urging responsible online behaviour and challenging harmful language: “We must be cautious with our words; phrases like ‘men are trash’ only serve to deepen divisions. We should use social media to promote understanding and equality.” Sr. Immaculée Uwamariya highlighted the importance of societal support for young couples preparing for marriage, emphasizing the necessity of genuine parenting and open dialogue: “Everyone has a role in parenting, extending to those in marriage. We need to create spaces for open dialogue.”

Haguruka plays a crucial role in promoting gender equality and building GBV-free families through various innovative approaches and projects, including the “Ingo z’Amahoro project, “which proactively prevents and responds to GBV while promoting sexual and reproductive health awareness.

The high-level dialogue underscored the critical need for a multifaceted approach addressing both the root causes of violence and the immediate needs of survivors. By promoting gender equality, providing support services, and fostering community engagement, Rwandan families can create safe and nurturing environments where all members can thrive.

It is imperative that Haguruka, a non-governmental organization committed to promoting and defending the rights of women and children September 28, 2023, hosted a breakfast meeting to showcase its innovative approaches to preventing and responding to Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

The event, held in alignment with the global 16 Days Of Activism campaign against gender-based violence, gathered stakeholders from government entities and partner organizations. The meeting aimed not only to present Haguruka’s successful approaches in combating GBV but also to foster collaboration and synergy among organizations working towards a similar cause.

Ninette Umurerwa, the Executive Secretary of Haguruka, presented the organization’s impact over the past five years, highlighting key approaches such as mobile legal aid clinics and community dialogues. These efforts contributed to the capacity building of over 3,000 individuals and raised awareness among 14,466 people, creating an impact in communities. Haguruka’s interventions, spanning access to justice, psychosocial support, research, and advocacy, were recognized as a catalyst for positive change.

In her speech Munyankindi Monique, the Chairperson of Haguruka, expressed gratitude to partners, emphasizing the crucial role played by both local and international supporters, including the Government of Rwanda.

Solange Impanoyimana, representing the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, commended Haguruka’s tangible impact, stating, “As the long-term partner of Haguruka, we witness the tangible impact that Haguruka’s interventions have on the lives of those affected by and at risk of gender-based violence.”

Mireille Batamuliza, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, expressed gratitude for Haguruka’s efforts to GBV. She urged continued collective efforts in raising awareness, reintegrating victims, and making responsive services accessible to all.

Reflecting on the progress made, Batamuliza highlighted the government’s commitment to transforming societal norms and providing innovative and responsive services. She tackled the urgent need to offer suitable reintegration packages, especially for teenage mothers, emphasizing mental health and income-generating activities.

Haguruka’s commitment to defending women’s and children’s rights has also ignited a renewed passion for collaboration and collective action. The collaborative efforts were lauded by stakeholders who pledged future partnerships to advance innovative approaches to eradicating GBV.

Through this new approach, the government hoped to promote the culture of amicable problem-solving in society as well as equipping more people with skills to settle disputes.

As a way of embracing and implementing this, Haguruka has advanced its interventions pertaining to the promotion of Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) as sustained efforts to promote the culture of “problem-solving in families and reinforce amicable settlement of disputes.”

As part of activities supporting this cause, there have been preparation exercises of Abunzi training, ADR policy awareness raising, among other activities.

For instance, in the framework of building the capacities of ADR structures to facilitate citizens to resolve their disputes amicably, Haguruka, sponsored by Norwegian People’s Aid, organized a training of members of Abunzi committees in Ruhango district with the ultimate goal of sharpening them with skills in mediation techniques, key laws relevant to their functions and gender and inclusion.

For this approach to be successful, there is need for prior engagement of district officials on the intervention needed for its successful implementation and make intervention more responsive.

There is also a need to embark on bridging the capacity gap on one hand and investing in awareness of the comparative advantages of ADR to be more preventive than responsive.

There is a need to invest in building the capacity of ADR structures in conflict resolution/ mediation techniques and provide similar training to other ADR structures and promote equal understanding of similar content.

Full engagement of local leaders to own ADR philosophy and coordination is recommended to ensure the sustainability of current interventions.

The Ministry of Justice and its stakeholders such as Ministry of Local Government should join hands to design collective measures to resolve the issue of the working environment of Abunzi for them to be more effective in service delivery.

The relevance of ADR policy is varied for example it is key in promoting social cohesion among Rwandans. However for this to be achieved, there is need for attention from local leaders on ADR policy as far as delivering less costly, accessible and restorative justice is concerned. Local leaders ought to play their rightful role of decentralizing ADR Policy philosophy to ordinary citizens to save citizens from costly justice.

This is why Haguruka thought it relevant to be an advocate for such groups in order for them to at least seek and find justice without difficulty.

In this perspective, through its five-year-project “Dufatanye Kubaka Ubutabera” (DKU) Haguruka seeks to increase access to quality justice for vulnerable people.

The project has been ongoing since January 2022, and it is being implemented under the leadership of the Legal Aid Forum and is funded by USAID.

Under the project, there has been implementation of a series of activities including conducting mobile legal aid clinics in districts such as Nyarugenge, Gicumbi, Rwamagana, Nyagatare, and Rusizi. There has also been legal representation for vulnerable people and GBV victims, and the training of Abunzi.

The training of Abunzi is precisely done to raise their awareness on key laws, mediation technics, gender equality and social inclusion.

By equipping them with these skills, the organisation endeavours to contribute to the strengthening of the rule of law, protection, and promotion of human rights and increasing access to justice as a key principle to enhance access to justice by Rwandans.

Through these services, Haguruka is able to facilitate beneficiaries who have limited financial means to access legal services and justice specifically those living in remote areas. Through this process, they are enabled to identify their legal issues and understand the alternatives for resolution in pursuing a legal solution.

These can include legal advice, referral/orientation to other service providers, legal briefs, and submission of cases to court via IECMS (Integrated Electronic Case Management System), etc.

Through the legal representation service, the organisation is enabling its rightsholders to get an easy way or free access to justice services.

This has also enhanced, at a very large scale, the partnership with local government specifically District authorities in general, and other civil society organizations in particular.

This has been done in five Districts, namely: Nyagatare, Ngoma, Musanze, Nyabihu and Nyamagabe, from November 2021, Interpeace, in consortium with Prison Fellowship Rwanda (PFR), Dignity in Detention (DIDE) and in partnership with the Government of Rwanda through the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE).

The four-year-programme, funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), uses a holistic and innovative approach aimed at simultaneously providing mental health services, advancing social cohesion, and promoting sustainable livelihoods among the targeted beneficiaries. These include genocide survivors, genocide penetrators (current and former/ released prisoners) and their families, youth, and local, grass root leaders.

The focus of the project is mental health, socio cohesion, and livelihood.

To ensure the success and effectiveness of the program, consultative meetings were held with government institutions such as MINUBUMWE, Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS), Mayors and other senior officials in each of the 5 Districts as well Community-Based Organisations to present the programme and gather their inputs.

This was also meant to help the programme to strategize on which actors to engage to support the implementation, as well as identification of capacity gaps they may have that the programme can help address.

One of the tools used in the implementation of the program is RCT- MULTIFAMILY-a healing space (A family-based healing approach for restoring relationships within and across families.

In 2022, when Haguruka started the implementation of its Civil Society Strengthening Program (CSSP), the goal was to build strong Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that demand and support the fulfilment of children’s rights –  holding states to account and mobilising and empowering children and their communities.

As a five-year program, CSSP aims to ensure that;

Children constitute a big part of civil society, individually and collectively- influencing decision-making regarding issues of their own concern at all levels of society,

Policies, systems and budgets are ensuring the fulfilment of children’s rights and equitable access to quality services,

An enabling civic space where civil society can promote and defend children’s rights freely.

For this to be achieved, children need to be able to express their views and organise themselves around issues affecting them.

They also need to gain increased understanding of their rights, and skills related to advocacy and campaigning.

Partnerships also need to be established, formal and informal, with child-led organisations.

Children ought to have opportunities/spaces to hold duty-bearers to account, and inform decision-making.

In addition to that, child participation initiatives need to be supported to apply internationally recognised standards for safe, ethical and meaningful participation.

Why Civil Society Organisations?

Considering CSOs’ empowerment as a tool in championing children’s rights is due to the fact that they have opportunities for societal influence, to uphold and expand civic space.

CSOs have capacity to assess, analyse and adapt to changes in civic space. They also get improved access to policy dialogue and public debate where they can influence decision making.

Lastly, CSOs are better positioned to mitigate risks relating to their protection and safety against attacks or/and threats from state and non-state actors.

In regards to CSOs as a key factor in the project’s implementation, they need to increase their capacity to monitor, report and hold the state to account for their commitments on children’s rights.

CSOs also need to gain capacity to advocate for inclusive policies, practices, systems, budgets and services for children’s rights, on all levels, based on their own organisational focus.

Lastly, its CSOs to equip duty bearers with skills and tools to strengthen children’s services within the national system.

They are also to advocate and hold states to account for the fulfilment of children’s rights and equitable access to quality services.

That way, CSOs will have improved the quality of their programming, increased organisational efficiency and effectiveness and have increased voice and influence as child rights actors in their own right.

Among other issues, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) remains among the biggest factors hindering stable families.

Despite efforts from the government to address GBV, the predicament still prevails. For example, according to Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) 2019/2020, 45% of women have ever experienced physical or sexual violence.

The country also has a 46% rate of lifetime physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence. Ever-married women are more likely to have ever experienced physical and sexual violence than those who have never been married, thus intimate partner violence is more prevalent than other forms of violence.

The likelihood of experiencing any form of violence increases with spouses’ alcohol consumption. Overall, 85% of women whose husbands are often drunk have ever experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence, compared with 26% of women whose husbands do not drink alcohol (NISR, 2020).

It is in this line that Haguruka is running a project, Ingo z’amahoro, loosely translated as peaceful homes, to empower women and girls including GBV victims on their rights and combat gender-based violence.

Supported by Kvinna till Kvinna (KtK), activities will be implemented in line with Haguruka’s mission and KtK’s priorities to raise awareness, build capacities on GBV, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), conflict prevention and management, and leadership and support GBV victims to access justice.

The project targets a range of beneficiaries from Musanze and Gasabo districts, where the focus is; raising awareness among citizens on GBV prevention and response, sensitising the community on sexual reproductive health and rights through human rights and pleasure-positive approaches and building the capacity of women in leadership, decision-making, and conflict resolution.

During implementation, selected approaches include; supporting GBV victims with legal aid support through legal representation and psychosocial counselling support, exclusive dialogue sessions with couples on GBV prevention and women’s rights, safe spaces for women to discuss on GBV prevention and women’s rights.

There is also raising awareness on SRHR among youth through dialogue sessions, safe spaces for teen mothers to learn about GBV and SRHR, dialogue sessions for girls/safe spaces for girls on GBV and SRHR (out of schools) as well as intergenerational dialogue between teen mothers, single mothers and their parents on sexual reproductive health and rights.