The World Bank Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, has commended support offered at Isange One Stop Centre (IOSC) to victims of gender-based violence (GBV).

Indrawati was speaking to the media after touring the centre at Kacyiru Police Hospital, on Friday.

 "I would like to commend the initiative of the government to establish the IOSC as a place where many GBV victims come to seek support and treatment. These are commendable services from Rwanda National Police (RNP) to offer health and psychological support even after the judicial process,” she said.

 Indrawati appreciated the trust that people have in IOSC but urged Police to sensitise the public more on the prevention of GBV, especially against women and children.

 "Given the statistics of the people who seek services from here, people have more confidence in the facility.  It is important that there are mechanisms for the victims to get justice and treatment, but it is even more important to strengthen the prevention because statistics show that GBV is still prevalent in the country,” she said.

 According to Police Spokesperson CSP Celestin Twahirwa, an average of ten GBV victims currently seek support at the centre on a daily basis up from about four victims in 2009 when the facility was established as a pilot project. He said at least 72 per cent of the cases are sexually related.

 He attributed the increase  in the number of care seekers to trust that the centre winning among the people after six years of sensitisation, leading to the timely reporting of crimes.

CSP Twahirwa said there are twelve IOSCs across the country with a target of 44 centres before year end.

 Indrawati said all the World Bank programmes in the country must be designed in a way that gives chance to  women to participate in the socio-economic and political spheres.

 "WB supports the country in eradicating poverty and accelerating shared prosperity and that the two goals can only be achieved if women and children are free of violence and can freely articulate their opinions,” she said.

Indrawati was on her three-day working visit to Rwanda, which started on Wednesday.

She was accompanied by Oda Gasinzigwa, the Minister for Gender and Family Promotion.

According to a statement from the Bank’s country office, the visit aimed at deepening partnership between the WB and the Government of Rwanda in fighting poverty.