Rwanda

The Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Dr Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya, on Thursday, launched "16 days of activism" in Gisagara District, calling for more efforts from the community in the fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV).

The international event is celebrated annually to create awareness against gender-based violence.

The Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Dr. Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya, has requested churches to involve more women in leadership roles as a means of promoting gender equality in Rwanda.

She made the remarks on Thursday while opening of the National conference on the Role of Association of Pentecostal Churches in Rwanda (ADEPR), in promoting gender parity.

Joint efforts by the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, the National Police and the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) in fighting Gender Based Violence (GBV) are bearing fruit with the number of cases drastically going down.

When Odette Kayirere lost her husband in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, she felt angry and hopeless. But she stepped beyond her grief to work with her fellow widows, first to make a better life for herself and her children and then to help form an organisation for 4,000 women.

Jeanne d'Arc Nyinawase, an employee of the national water and power utility, RECO-RWASCO , has been declared winner of the by-elections held last week for the woman MP's seat in the Western Province.

She won with an overwhelming majority of 883 out of 1046 votes (84.41%) to beat six other contestants. She becomes the seventh woman Member of Parliament in the region, following the resignation of Solange Tuyisenge, early this year.

The Rwandan authorities are trying to tackle gender-based violence by addressing the role of security personnel in ending the scourge.

"Violence of any sort is an affront to society, an abomination that is simply unacceptable," Rwandan Prime Minister Bernard Makuza said. "Security forces in Africa must recognize gender-based violence as a crime."

A visiting team of 26 lawmakers from the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly, have expressed satisfaction with the country's gender promotion programmes which are reflected at the grassroots level.

When Béata Murekatete was growing up in rural Rwanda, she never would have imagined she'd end up working for Parliament.

She's not a lawmaker, but everything she does touches the law. She's a researcher, and she spends her days in villages around Rwanda researching reports for parliamentarians about issues with which ordinary Rwandans might need a helping hand.

The National Women's Council over the weekend inaugurated a water project that will serve seven families of impaired ex-combatants in Rutaraka village, Nyagatare sector in Nyagatare district.

The council also constructed a feeder road that connects the beneficiaries' village to the main road.

Kigali — The Commissioner General of Police, Emmanuel Gasana, yesterday met a contingent of female police officers who are soon to be deployed on the United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and challenged them to raise the image of the country and act professionally while on the mission.