Meet Irene, a Family Planning Advocate in Rwanda

By Seema Jalan

An estimated 20 million adolescent women want to prevent pregnancy but are not using a modern form of contraception. Around the world, young people are advocating in their communities for comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.

Meet Irene, age 20, Rwandan:

“I grew up in Rwanda in a family of seven children. When I was young, I was so curious to know more about family planning and sexual education, but I did not have any source to get information,” said Irene, explaining that her parents rarely talked about sex due to the culture and norms in her village.

After seeing some peers in her village drop out of school due to pregnancy, Irene started attending workshops and reading books about sexual and reproductive health and rights, including family planning. Now, she volunteers at a local organization, Rwanda Youth Clubs for Peace, which helps educate young people about their rights. She also founded a club called the Huguka Club, which is dedicated to raising awareness about sexual education, including family planning options, in Irene’s home district of Musanze.

“Family planning helps us birth a number of children we are able to raise in good condition,” said Irene. “I decided to advocate for family planning because it is a crucial issue and barrier many people face in achieving their future development.”

But this work is not without challenges, she explained.

“As a young person, it was not easy in the beginning because some people did not understand how a young girl can say something important about family planning,” she said. “In the beginning, I started working to open up the eyes of people and show them the importance of family planning in their development.”

But the benefits are clear: Irene has seen awareness of family planning options increase in her community, thanks in large part to the club she founded, and the number of girls experiencing unwanted pregnancy decrease.

Irene’s message to other young people: Take initiative!

“I would like to tell younger people to take initiative.…We are the foundation of our nations because we are the future leaders, and leaders start by taking action.”

Access to quality sexual and reproductive health information and services is a fundamental human right and a key intervention to enable young people everywhere to pursue an education, launch a career, and control their futures. Learn more about the Universal Access Project and get involved at www.universalaccessproject.org.