From overlooked to leading change: Bushira takes the voices of youth with disabilities to ICFP 2025
Bushira, a young disability rights advocate from Rwanda, will speak on the global stage at the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP 2025) in Columbia.
Her participation ensures that the voices of young people with disabilities are included in international discussions on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
A journey of resilience
Growing up in poverty, Bushira faced both social stigma and limited opportunities. When her parents separated when she was eight, she moved in with her mother and grandmother. Despite her determination to learn, she often encountered prejudice and exclusion, eventually leaving school in her third year of secondary education.
A turning point with Make Way
Years later, Bushira encountered the Make Way program through NUDOR (National Union of Disability Organizations of Rwanda), a partner of Liliane Fonds, an experience that completely changed her trajectory.
Through Make Way, she found a space where young people who are marginalized can come together to learn, advocate and lead. She soon joined the Make Way Rwanda Youth Panel, where youth with disabilities and other marginalized identities collaborate with national organizations to improve access to SRHR services for all young people.
Bushira became a key voice in this group, contributing her lived experience and leadership to discussions and community advocacy efforts.
Driving change in her community
As part of the Youth Panel, Bushira participated in an assessment of SRHR services in Gatsibo and Nyagatare districts using the Intersectionality-based Community Scorecard (ICSC).
Together with other young people and local leaders, she helped identify barriers that prevent youth with disabilities from accessing quality and respectful SRHR services. The findings highlighted issues such as discrimination, lack of accessibility, and health workers’ limited training on disability inclusion.
These findings informed advocacy papers that were presented to the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC). In response, both institutions expressed their commitment to strengthen inclusivity in health services, including plans to train health workers, starting with sign language programs.
While the trainings are still in early stages, the project has already increased recognition of youth with disabilities as partners in policy dialogues and community decision-making.
Taking the message global: ICFP 2025
At ICFP 2025, Bushira will share her experiences and insights on inclusive access to SRH services for young people with disabilities, alongside global youth leaders, policymakers, and advocates. Her participation will spotlight Rwanda’s example of youth-led intersectional advocacy, demonstrating how inclusive approaches can reshape the SRHR landscape.
Her participation marks an important step forward for youth with disabilities in Rwanda and beyond, showing how inclusion and trust can transform lives and communities.
“Youth with disabilities are not voiceless; they are unheard, or even when given the floor, they are not truly listened to,”