The proposed bill gives government power "to suspend fertility for mentally handicapped people." The group behind the bill is a network of parliamentarians who have set themselves the goal of raising the social welfare of the population. Another controversial campaign they adopted recently was ‘Two For One’ – essentially calling for only 2 children per couple. The motivation according the group is the spiraling population of the country.
The new reproductive health bill yet to go debate in the House also provides that all individuals who plan to marry must undergo HIV testing and provide a certificate beforehand. Married individuals are required to be tested for HIV/AIDS upon the request of one of the spouses.
If a doctor finds it "necessary" for a child or an incapacitated person to be tested for HIV/AIDS, the bill gives the medical practitioner the right to conduct the test without seeking consent. The doctor also has the control on deciding whether to show the result to the parent, guardian, or care provider.
For campaign group Human Rights Watch, the proposals in this bill are “deeply flawed and violate the government's obligations to uphold and protect human rights”.
The group described the proposed arrangement as “systematic, forced sterilization”, which it said has actually been recognized as a crime against humanity by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Rwanda is not a signatory to court.
In May 2008, Rwanda ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The convention among a range of obligations to governments, upholds the rights of persons with disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, to equal rights.
"While Rwanda has made notable progress in fighting stigma and responding to the AIDS epidemic, and has pledged to advance the rights of persons with disability, forced sterilization and mandatory HIV testing do not contribute to those goals," says HRW
"These elements of the bill undermine reproductive health goals and undo decades of work to ensure respect for reproductive rights."