39. Rwanda has also ratified international and regional instruments on the
protection of children’s rights without discrimination based on gender
or other considerations including CEDAW and the African Charter on
the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990) and the CRC. This legal
framework is supported by a number of policy and strategic
instruments such as the Integrated Child Rights Policy (2011) whose
main objective is to “ensure that every child in Rwanda and every
Rwandan child has his/her rights ensured and provided for”, the
National Girls’ Education Policy (see section 12.4), the National policy
against GBV and the National Labour Policy, among others.
40. The umbrella Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre (RWAMREC) was set up
in 2006 to coordinate the growing engagement of men and boys in
promoting gender equality and ending VAWG. It is a key driver in
fighting GBV by changing the patriarchal mind set in the community.
Article 6: Marriage
41. The Rwandan constitution of 4th June 2003 as revised in 2015 in its
Article 17 recognizes only civil monogamous marriage between a man
and a woman. No person may be married without his or her free
consent. Partners in a marriage have equal rights and duties upon and
during the subsistence of a marriage and at the time of divorce. The
married couple is recorded in accordance with the law in the civil status
register book.
42. The Law now prohibits early/child marriage, which has been one of the
most prevalent negative cultural practices, as the age of consent for
marriage is 21. Other negative attitudes like keeping girls out of school,
denial of inheritance and property, GBV are addressed through the
laws and policies mentioned above. Rwanda has also ratified the
African Union Solemn Declaration on the Rights of Women, which lay
particular emphasis on “protection against violence, including that
caused by harmful traditional practices”. The “Men Engage” initiative
has particularly played a big role in promoting positive masculinity
through sensitization and positive male role models. This programme
has influenced a positive change among communities on the
elimination of negative cultural practices.
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