Prostitution in Rwanda

Prostitution is illegal in Rwanda. However, due to the immense poverty in the country, many women have been forced into prostitution to make money. It is thought that around 25% of sex workers in Rwanda are HIV positive. On September 23, 2006, Valeria Nyirahabineza ordered prostitutes in Rwanda to stop selling sex otherwise they would face legal action. He claimed that prostitution was a root cause of the HIV problem facing Rwanda. In March 2007 Paul Kagame gave a speech stating that prostitution in Rwanda must be stopped, he stated “It is not part of Rwanda’s path to development and, therefore, must stop.”