On November 25 Rwanda officially kicked off the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign emphasizing the theme All for GBV-Free Families the initiative seeks to unite citizens institutions and communities in the fight against violence while providing support services to survivors

Between 2021 and 2024, Rwanda recorded 15,497 child abuse cases, a large portion of which involved sexual abuse. In 2023/2024, 4,842 gender-based violence cases were handled by the courts. National statistics indicate that a significant percentage of women aged 15–49 have experienced physical or intimate partner violence.

Rwanda has established 44 Isange One-Stop Centres in district hospitals, providing medical, legal, psychosocial, and reintegration services 24/7 to survivors. Health professionals and social workers have been trained to handle GBV cases efficiently, ensuring evidence preservation and survivor support.

The campaign seeks to raise public awareness, ensure timely reporting and support for survivors, strengthen multi-sectoral cooperation between government, civil society, and communities, and promote safer families and accountable communities that actively reject violence.

The 16 Days of Activism campaign highlights Rwanda’s ongoing commitment to combat gender-based violence by combining preventive education legal action and survivor support the initiative aims to create tangible change protect vulnerable populations and foster communities where families are safe empowered and free from violence.