Rwanda’s Minister for Gender Oda Gasinzigwa
Experts on Gender issues have commended Rwanda for being a model in fostering and implementing Gender policies.
The commendation was made by different Gender experts this Wednesday at the ongoing African Development Bank annual meeting taking place in Kigali.
During a session themed: The Gender Dividend, experts lauded Rwanda for having moved a step from enacting laws on gender to implementing the policies that facilitate women access equal rights as their fellow men.
The session was chaired by African Development Bank President, Dr. Donald Kaberuka while other panelists included Rwanda’s Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Oda Gasinzigwa, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Togolese Minister of the Economy, Finance and Privatization, Adji Oteth Ayassor, among others.
While delivering her remarks, Minister Gasinzigwa said that Rwanda went from enacting laws on Gender to giving equal right to Women in all aspects of life.
“Rwanda went beyond words and laws to give full potential and opportunities to all Women. In today’s Rwanda, a girl Child has access to education like a boy Child to the extent that at some Schools Girls outnumber their brothers at a rate of over 50 percent,” she said.
The Minister told the audience that Rwandan Women reserve access to land ownership and families have adopted a culture of conducting legal marriage, adding that the government plans to consider a budget that will be charged with Gender promotion in the National Budget.
“Twenty-six percent of Rwandan Women have acquired land titles and 54 percent of families have conducted legal marriages. The Government will add funds for Gender in the National Budget.”
AfDB condemns BOKO HARAM
In his opening remarks, Dr. Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank condemned the recent attacks on innocent School Girls in Nigeria by BOKO HARAM and pledged support for gender driven policies and initiatives in the Country.
Kaberuka asked the Nigerian government to get back the girls who have been abducted by Boko Haram, announcing his personal pledge worth US $20,000 to set up a center of excellence School.
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka-Executive Director of UN Women said that gender policies should be firm and not be changed every year, stating that the existing policies should be accompanied by financial capacities, and banks should come on board to have this happen.