Eight percent of women aged 15 to 49 in Rwanda who had ever been pregnant reported experiencing physical violence during pregnancy, according to the 2025 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS), highlighting the continued vulnerability of women during one of the most critical stages of their lives.
The survey, released by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, shows that while gender-based violence has declined over the past five years, violence against women—including during pregnancy—remains a public health and human rights concern.
The report found that 33% of women had experienced physical violence at least once since the age of 15, compared with 22% of men. In the 12 months preceding the survey, 17% of women and 8% of men reported experiencing physical violence.
Among women who had ever been married or lived with a partner and experienced physical violence, more than half (53%) said the abuse was committed by their current husband or cohabiting partner, while 28% identified a former partner as the perpetrator.
For women who had never married or lived with a partner, the most frequently reported perpetrators were mothers or grandmothers (29%), fathers or grandfathers (28%), teachers (24%), and siblings (22%).
The survey also examined sexual violence, finding that 19% of women and 5% of men had experienced sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. During the year preceding the survey, 8% of women and 1% of men reported experiencing sexual violence.
Women who were divorced, separated or widowed recorded the highest prevalence of sexual violence at 35%, followed by women who had never married but had been in a relationship (21%) and married women (18%).
Among women who had ever been married or lived with a partner, 52% said the sexual violence was committed by their current husband or cohabiting partner. Another 17% identified a current or former boyfriend, while 14% said the perpetrator was a husband.
The report further found that 11% of women and 4% of men experienced sexual violence perpetrated by someone with whom they had no intimate relationship.
The survey also shows that some women experienced sexual violence at a young age. Two percent said they were first assaulted before the age of 15, 6% before turning 18, and 10% before the age of 22.
Overall, 39% of women reported experiencing at least one form of physical or sexual violence. Of these, 21% experienced physical violence only, 7% experienced sexual violence only, and 12% experienced both forms of violence.
Despite these findings, the RDHS indicates that the prevalence of gender-based violence has declined since the 2019–2020 survey. The proportion of women reporting physical violence dropped from 37% to 33%, while those reporting sexual violence declined from 23% to 19%.
The findings suggest that although progress has been made in reducing gender-based violence, a significant number of women—including pregnant women—continue to experience abuse, underscoring the need for sustained prevention efforts and support services.
