SENSITIZATION ON EUP, GBV, AND CHILD MARRIAGE PREVENTION FOR YOUNG AND ADULTS RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES.

UNESCO in partnership with Happy Family Rwanda Organization (HFRO), the City of Kigali, and other key stakeholders, organized a large-scale mass awareness and sensitization event at Kigali Pele Stadium (KPS). The event was aimed at preventing Early Unwanted Pregnancies (EUP), Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and Child Marriage among young people, adolescents, and adult religious communities.

The event brought together over 10,000 participants, including 8,000 young people and adolescents and 2,000 adults from religious communities. It served as a powerful platform to educate, engage, and mobilize communities on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). Through interactive sessions, artistic performances, and public dialogue, participants gained essential knowledge on body development, healthy relationships, prevention of sexual violence, harmful practices, and positive behavioral change.

The awareness campaign employed a creative and inclusive methodology, integrating art, music, and social media to effectively reach diverse audiences. Performances were delivered by popular Rwandan artists, including Ishimwe Josh, James & Daniella, Alexis Dusabe, and Dominic Ishimwe, while key messages were delivered by the Vice Mayor of the City of Kigali, religious leaders, civil society organizations, and private sector representatives.

This mass awareness initiative significantly contributed to strengthening community understanding, promoting open dialogue, and supporting collective action toward the prevention of GBV, Early Unwanted Pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, and Child Marriage in Rwanda.