Analyzing Cultural Alignment in Rwandan Sexual and Reproductive Health Education

Authors

• Amit Gerstein, Tel Aviv UniversityFollow

English Abstract

Rwandan education cannot be understood outside the context of colonization. This study investigates the cultural alignment of Rwandan sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education. Using existing literature on indigenous sexuality and reflective practice from teaching in a Rwandan secondary school, this paper analyzes three SRH curricula to examine the extent to which they incorporate local knowledge versus Western scripts. The analysis focuses on four key areas: the definition of sex, contraception, consent, and female anatomy.

The findings reveal significant disconnects, where Western narratives regarding sex and sexuality appear to overwrite or displace indigenous sexual knowledge and practice. This study concludes that to create culturally sensitive and effective SRH curricula, these identified biases must be challenged, and new curricula should be co-produced from within the context of Rwandan culture, practice, and identity.

Spanish Abstract

La educación ruandesa no puede entenderse fuera del contexto de la colonización. Este estudio investiga la alineación cultural de la educación en salud sexual y reproductiva (SSR) en Ruanda. Utilizando la literatura existente sobre la sexualidad indígena y la práctica reflexiva de la enseñanza en una escuela secundaria ruandesa, este artículo analiza tres currículos de SSR para examinar hasta qué punto incorporan el conocimiento local frente a los guiones occidentales. El análisis se centra en cuatro áreas clave: la definición de sexo, la anticoncepción, el consentimiento y la anatomía femenina.

Los hallazgos revelan desconexiones significativas, donde las narrativas occidentales sobre el sexo y la sexualidad parecen sobrescribir o desplazar el conocimiento y las prácticas sexuales indígenas. Este estudio concluye que para crear currículos de SSR culturalmente sensibles y efectivos, estos sesgos identificados deben ser cuestionados, y los nuevos currículos deben ser coproducidos desde el contexto de la cultura, la práctica y la identidad ruandesas.

Author Biography

Amit Gerstein is a master’s student in sociology and anthropology at Tel Aviv University. His research interests include science and technology studies (STS) and development anthropology. He currently runs a school for adult refugees in Tel Aviv and is involved in both local and global social activism projects. His current work uses anthropological insights to advance more effective and inclusive international development practice.

Recommended Citation

Gerstein, Amit (2025) "Analyzing Cultural Alignment in Rwandan Sexual and Reproductive Health Education," Journal of Critical Global Issues: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62895/2997-0083.1028
Available at: https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/jcgi/vol2/iss1/6