Consent is willingly agreeing to do something, without being forced or tricked. It’s key to respect and important in law. Consent isn’t just limited to the sexual act, it starts from the environment, situations, and scenarios.
For example, there is no consent when you trick someone into believing you are using a condom while you are not, or when you trick someone into believing you are using birth control, there is no consent there.
There is no consent when you have intimate relations with someone too drunk to consent while you are sober. In some cases, it may be considered rape.
In Rwanda, the concept of consent is enshrined in various laws, particularly concerning sexual health, medical procedures, and data privacy.
Educating about consent starts early. As a young person here is what you should know about consent and what it looks like.
Consent is about clear communication. Silence is not consent. Consent starts when someone says yes verbally. Body language like smiling, maintaining eye contact, and nodding. These cues alone do not necessarily represent consent.
You can withdraw consent at any point if you feel uncomfortable. One way to do this is to communicate to your partner that you are no longer comfortable with this activity and wish to stop.
Here’s what consent does not look like. Refusing to acknowledge “no” is not consent. You know there is no consent when a partner is disengaged, nonresponsive, or visibly upset
There is no consent when you are assuming that wearing certain clothes, flirting, or kissing is an invitation for anything more. There is no consent when someone is under the legal age of consent, as defined by the law.
There is no consent when someone is incapacitated because of drugs or alcohol.
There is no consent when someone is pressured into sexual activity by using fear or intimidation. There is no consent when you assume you have permission to engage in a sexual act because you’ve done it in the past.
