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Rwanda: Institutionalisation of Gender Equality Advances as Rwanda Establishes the Gender Observatory

Kigali, 28 January 2008

  

Ms Oda Gasizingwa, the Chief Gender Monitor takes the oath of office.

   As a step towards gender equality in Rwanda,  three officials; Oda Gasinzigwa (Chief Gender Monitor), Eugenié Kabagema, (Deputy Chief Monitor in Charge of Fighting Gender Based Violence) and Cyrille Turatsinze ( Deputy Gender Monitor in charge of Gender) were sworn in on the 27th of January 2009 as administrators of the newly instituted Gender Observatory in Rwanda.

 The establishment of the Gender Observatory is in conformity with article 185 of the National Constitution of Rwanda.  The Chief Gender monitor Oda Gasinzigwa, explained that the Observatory will work hand in hand with other government institutions, such as the National Institute of Statistics, to ensure that gender is mainstreamed at  all levels and gender disaggregated data is collected to inform policy processes. “We will cut across all sectors of the economy, identify gender performance and give reports that reflect the gaps in the development system which will be a basis for decision making,” she said.

UNIFEM has been a strong advocate for the establishment of the Gender Observatory and has already initiated discussions with the Observatory on collaboration in the context of the new governance program, which will be jointly implemented with UNDP. UNIFEM’s role as host and co-chair of the Gender Task Force within the One UN, and its co-chairing of the governance theme group provide immediate avenues for supporting the agenda of the Observatory. An obvious issue will be monitoring the implementation of gender commitments in the Economic Development for Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS). 

The ceremony, held at the Supreme Court, was presided over by the Chief Justice Aloysia Cyanzaire and attended by the Prime Minister Bernard Makuza, the Minister for Gender, Dr Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, together with other cabinet ministers, senators, members of Parliament and civil society representatives. The collective message to the newly sworn-in officials was to recognize the responsibility given to them to ensure that present and future generations build the nation based on gender equality and fairness. SGBV was recognized as a major challenge for women’s active participation in Rwanda’s development and the new officials were encouraged to do whatever it takes to ensure that all Rwandans enjoy their Human Rights, free from SGBV and gender inequalities.

For further information please contact:

Nora Kokanova (UNIFEM Central Africa Regional Office, Kigali)

norakokanova@hotmail.com





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