The University of Rwanda held a panel discussion on sextortion on Wednesday, November 19, bringing together representatives from student welfare, law enforcement, anti-corruption bodies and women’s rights advocates to address rising concerns over sexual corruption on campus.
The session was led by Theresie Nyirahabimana, the Director of Students Welfare, who emphasized the university’s responsibility to maintain a learning environment free from abuse of power.
Defining the issue, Vestine Uwamahoro, ISDA ambassador described sextortion as “a situation in which a person in power asks for sex or sexual favors in exchange for grades, jobs, opportunities, money, protection or services.”
She said their campaigns in various schools showed that many victims remained silent out of fear of retaliation.
Representing law enforcement, Superintendent Harima Nyirimpuwe, outlined the consequences of sextortion. “Sextortion can result into psychological trauma, sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, unwanted pregnancies and hence a loss to the nation. If you love yourself, you will study hard to reach your dreams” she said and explained that police teams continue to visit schools to teach students what the law says about sextortion and encourage them to reject exploitation.
On the other hand, The National Women’s Council, represented by their ambassador Redempta Bakundukize, reported that they provide both awareness and advocacy for sextortion victims, particularly in schools, where the victims are referred to legal practitioners, psychologists and other support services.
Students also shared their perspective where Vasta Dushimumuremyi, a fourth-year law student and Minister of Gender in the UR Student Guild, highlighted Article 149 of the penal code, which criminalizes sexual corruption. She urged students not to tolerate or normalize sextortion, saying student leaders are available to listen because they experience similar realities.
2024 statistics from Transparency International Rwanda as presented by their ambassador show that underreporting remained one of the biggest obstacles in addressing sextortion. According to TI-Rwanda, 52% of victims feared reprisals, 28.9% did not report due to insufficient evidence, and 21.6% believed no action would be taken.
As part of the event, students watched Broken Silence, a short film depicting a student who experienced sextortion from her teacher but eventually reported the abuse.
The film’s lead actress, Bellamie, a former UR student, said in an interview with The Kaminuza Star that she felt honored to contribute to raising awareness and hoped that viewers would be encouraged to take the first step in reporting such cases.
The discussion concluded with a collective call for students to break the silence, report abuses and support a culture of accountability across the university.
Prisca Gikundiro / The Kaminuza Star