{{Parliament Speaker Rose Mukantabana has described cases of unwanted pregnancies in schools as unacceptable, saying, Child pregnancies in the country should not be blamed on the immediate victims but on parents.}}
“The unwanted pregnancies being reported in primary schools, secondary schools and universities are simply unacceptable, “she told participants at the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Rwandan Parliamentarians’ Network on Population and Development (RPRPD) held at parliamentary buildings.
“When children get pregnant, it is us(parents, teachers) who should be ashamed. The shame is not on these children. The shame is on us parents, and on us teachers – all of us who have the responsibility to guide these children,” she said.
According to a report on Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Schools, 522 unwanted pregnancies were recorded in 2012 among girls aged between 10-18 years in several schools.
The report of the Gender Monitoring Office indicated most cases were in Karongi (58), Kayonza (53), Gatsibo (52) and Gasabo (50), and major perpetrators of sexual violence – leading to unwanted pregnancies are reportedly older men, or sugar daddies, fellow students, teachers, and motorcyclists.
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