Rwanda through the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) has received €4 million (approximately Rwf4.5bn) to implement a new project dubbed “Prevention of sexualized and Gender-Based Violence”. The three-year project which is funded by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) is expected to avail more knowledge on GBV and strengthen the capacity of different stakeholders working in the sector among other benefits. Jeannette Bayisenge, the Minister at MIGEPROF said that Rwanda has made great advancements in the area of gender equality and women empowerment. “It was all made possible due to different factors including the highest political will, dynamic legal and institutional framework, coordination mechanism, great collaborations between local and international partners,” she noted. However, she added that there are a number of areas that still prevent people with the possibility and chances to participate fully in the development of the country. Commenting on such issues she cited GBV and the reasons which might cause it among the community. “We counter GBV due mostly to traditional patriarchal attitudes among people, lack of knowledge about laws, and information about sexual and reproductive health and rights,” she explained However, she assured the public that through this project they will be able to bring a positive change in the lives of Rwandan families and give a chance to the future generation to live in a more inclusive and peaceful society. In addition, she revealed that they will also conduct an assessment on the impact of existing SGBV prevention and response measures implemented by governmental and non-governmental actors at the decentralized level to be able to choose the most effective one and replicate it at the national level. Speaking on the same occasion Svenja Schulze, German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development in Germany, commended Rwanda for being the pioneer in gender equality which reflects her objective. “My goal is to develop feminist policy which means that the rights of women, girls must be strengthened,” she said She pointed out that GBV is a worldwide issue and violence is often specially marked in rural areas. Schulze also said that only a few of these victims of GBV seek professional support on legal or medical support. Yet it is important that speeding and compressive assistance is available when it is needed, and commended Rwanda for making it easy for victims. “Rwanda is doing very impressive work here with these one-stop centers and the safe houses you have all over Rwanda,” she said.
