Social Dimension: Women’s Empowerment - Rwanda

ISTANBUL SUMMIT: WOMEN'S PERSPECTIVES ON THE UN POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
Social Dimension: Women's Empowerment
Saturday 31 May 2014
Professor Shirley Randell AO, PhD, Managing Director, SRIA Rwanda Ltd
What does it take to generate real social change and equality?
Rwanda has an answer
Social transformation as a path to recovery

Defining the Background to Social Transformation
In the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, one million people were cruelly slaughtered and over 300,000 women were raped in 100 days in Rwanda. Women had to pick up the pieces as they found themselves without husbands, fathers and sons to carry on farming, business and governance, and to care for orphans and widows.

A survivor who cares for a genocide memorial in Rwanda
There are six issues I consider responsible for Rwanda's transformation that I would like to talk about today and, for each one, to suggest recommendations for consideration in building the Post 2015 agenda
Political Will and the Power of Institutionalizing Gender Equality
Gender mechanisms have been put in place in Rwanda to institutionalise gender equality and women's empowerment.
The Constitution, with provision for 30 percent of women in all decision-making positions
Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, with the mandate to implement gender equality
Gender Monitoring Office, with the mandate to monitor and audit progress in gender equality
National Women's Councils, from grassroots level through sector, district, provincial and national levels where women are involved in governance of their communities
National Development Planning, through Vision 2020 and the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategies
Recommendations for Institutionalising Gender Equality in the Post-15 Agenda
Utilizing women's transformative roles in implementing sustainable reforms
Undertaking to mainstream women into governance and at all levels of decision-making
Establishing a monitoring/auditing mechanism to ensure gender legislation and policy is implemented.


Political Empowerment of Women
Rwandan women have been politically empowered through a number of strategies.
Formation of Political and Civil Networks
- Rwanda Association of University Women for all graduate women
- Profemmes Twese Hamwe, an umbrella organisation for over 60 NGOs
- Rwandan Women Parliamentarians Forum, a cross party caucus of women from all political parties
- Political Parties Forum, an organisation where all political parties regularly consult
Mechanisms to continue and advance women parliamentary candidates at all levels, for example, mentoring of new women parliamentarians, training by NGOs for women seeking election
Women in Decision Making Bodies
'Women in decision making in parliament influence not only the political agenda, but also the way women and men are perceived in society' (Mukabagema and Randell (2010)

President Kagame, speaking at the Fifth Tokyo International Conference for African Development in June 2013 said
It is now possible to foresee a time soon when women in top leadership positions will no longer be an exception but rather one where women's ability to lead will be so usual that no one will remark about it


Women elected in September 2013 with President Paul Kagame – a 64 percent majority in the Chamber

Women voting for the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies – the Speaker elected is a woman
and she has two deputies, a man and a woman

Hon J. Kasengwa, MP from Rwanda, who is also Vice President of the Pan-African Parliament said on an audiovisual discussion on women in leadership:
It is true that gender equality in political participation goes beyond just numbers, but numbers must be there in the first place, then these numbers must be modeled into effective, able resources to be used to secure gender equality in political participation, including influencing and shaping political will of all the stakeholders, to gender equality.
Recommendations for the Political Empowerment of Women for the Post-15 Agenda
Using windows of opportunity or social revolution, even if caused by tragic upheaval and dislocation to change direction
Making political will visible in all types of policies and strategies and at all levels of government
Supporting mechanisms that enhance women's leadership and give them a voice in the political process
Building capacity for inexperienced women coming into positions of leadership
Facilitating a strong, well-subscribed and influential cross-party women's caucus in Parliament
Establishing a gender budgeting program and ensuring accountability for expenditure on women and men
Facilitating volunteers to support gender equality

Community Discussion on the Post-15 Agenda
Inclusive Legislation Recognizing Women's Equal Rights
Women parliamentarians have influenced the passing of laws to protect women's rights and have been responsible for amending discriminatory laws. The role of government and significant changes to women's legal rights and status both contribute significantly to the presence and power of women in decision making positions. The following are examples of gender-sensitive laws that have been passed by Parliament
1999 Law on Matrimonial Regimes
Labour Code prohibiting discrimination
Civil Code providing for women's rights
Land Tenure Reform
Gender Based Violence law
Law banning polygamy
Recommendations for the Post-15 Agenda
Enshrining political will into law
Establishing quotas and affirmative action to increase women's representation at all levels of decision-making
Mandating political parties to 'normalise' women's involvement in politics by internal affirmative action policies at all levels of political party operations
Dealing with gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual harassment at all levels in society
Challenging impunity for GBV
Improving women's access to justice
Providing education on legal rights
Contributing to the maintenance of international peace and security, with a responsibility to act to prevent conflict.
Investing in Girls – Educational Parity
Improving education for girls has a key influence on girls and women achieving gender equality and empowerment
MDG 3, Target 3, participation at primary school level has been reached in Rwanda; the emphasis now is on quality and achievement
At secondary school level, the President has a goal of 12 years basic education; again, importance is being given to participation, quality and achievement
In higher education, there is still poor participation and retention of girls and women, at both student and academic staff levels
Preschool education and technical and further education are growing priorities
There is a recognised need for accountability, research and gender-disaggregated data

Some of the first Master of Gender and Development graduates with the Director and staff from the Centre for Gender, Culture and Development (CGCD) at the University of Rwanda in 2012
Recommendations for Education in the Post-15 Agenda
Creating opportunities for women and girls through education and mentorship
Prioritizing age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health education
Supporting girls in their menstrual cycles: For example, a RAUW project on Breaking the Silence on Menstruation in 2012 resulted in:
- Improvements in sanitation facilities for girls in schools
- Provision of a girls' advisor and girls' room in every school
- Provision of free sanitary pads for needy girls
- A reduced tax on sanitary pads
5 Promoting Women's Participation in Economic Growth
Empowering women can fundamentally transform post-conflict economies and fight the cycle of poverty. Some Rwandan strategies that have supported women in economic development include:
The strong anti-corruption stance of the President and Government has simplified and reduced the cost of business transactions
Microeconomic loans have provided support for women
Women are working in non-traditional roles
Training courses provided include financial literacy training, access to financial services, business mentoring, agri-business and cooperatives support
There have been very significant results nation-wide in economic development and poverty reduction as evidenced in the figures below:



15 June 201415 June 2014SRIA Rwanda Ltd SRIA Rwanda Ltd
15 June 2014
15 June 2014
SRIA Rwanda Ltd
SRIA Rwanda Ltd
Women are even involved in the export trade.

These two Rwandan women sell peace baskets, made by women in cooperatives across the country, in Macy's and Walmart in the United States
Recommendations for the Post-15 Agenda
Involving women's grassroots movements in all gender economic initiatives
Improving access to household services to allow women to work outside the home
Ensuring decent work for women
Collecting and using gender-disaggregated data to monitor impact
6 Challenging Cultural Attitudes and Gender Stereotypes
Much of the contrast between Rwanda's progress in promoting women at a national level and in policy, and the reality on the ground is due to deeply embedded patriarchal values, taken for granted at all levels of society and often defended by reference to culture, religion and tradition. This is not unique to Rwanda and is a worldwide issue.
Recommendations for the Post-15 Agenda
Establishing opportunities for key personnel to develop a theoretical understanding of gender, similar to CGCD in Rwanda
Working with families, husbands and fathers and at community level umuganda
Engaging men, especially male cultural and religious leaders at national and local levels
Conclusions
United Nations conferences have done much to provide impetus for human rights at national level, as indicated in the outcomes of two world conferences below:
Outcomes of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development
We underscore that women have a vital role to play in achieving sustainable development. We recognize the leadership role of women and we resolve to promote gender equality and women's empowerment and to ensure their full and effective participation in sustainable development policies, programmes, and decision-making at all levels.
Outcomes of the 2014 Commission on the Status of Women
The Commission urges States to tackle critical remaining challenges through a transformative and comprehensive approach and calls for gender equality, the empowerment of women and human rights of women and girls to be reflected as a stand-alone goal and to be integrated through targets and indicators into all goals of any new development frame
As described by the First Lady of Rwanda, Jeannette Kagame, 'Men and women together in Rwanda have developed the right collective mind set towards post-conflict transformation".
In all our countries we should go forward together to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment. A world that is better for women is better for men too.





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