First Lady Jeannette Kagame has emphasised the need for women to have a well-deserved and long overdue seat at decision-making tables when it comes to healthcare. ALSO READ: First Lady inspires solidarity in addressing gender gaps She made the remarks, on July 18, during a Women Deliver Conference session themed “Increasing accessibility towards improved women’s health globally”, which included a panel discussion on women’s place in biopharmaceutical research and manufacturing. The Covid-29 pandemic was yet another painful lesson for the world on our inter-dependency, irrespective of gender, from global north to global south, she said. “The fact that we were forced into painful and lengthy isolation serves as a cruel reminder of how lost and lonely we have become without a community to rely on and engage with.” ALSO READ: First Lady roots for women’s bodily autonomy, welfare She pointed out the significant role played by women who were at the forefront of fighting the pandemic in assisting in the creation, manufacturing, and rollout of vaccines, which should have taken a decade, in less than a year. “These women saved lives, protected our economy, and watched over our communities while shouldering additional burdens of domestic, familial, and social responsibilities that unjustly compounded on them in times of crisis.” “What a gift to witness the women around the world, and indeed in Rwanda, excelling in spaces where they were once kept at arm’s length. Rwandan women are at the forefront of different levels of leadership, in science, technology, and education.” Rwanda has a firm stance on driving gender equality where at least 30 per cent of positions in institutions are owned by women, currently 61 per cent pf parliamentarians are women, more than 50 per cent of cabinet members are women, and 53 per cent of judiciary agents are women. “Perhaps this is the reason that women feel centred in our country’s governance. Perhaps this is why we feel that gender equality may soon be in our reach if we maintain our current pace of progress and determination to overcome the gender gap,” the First Lady noted. According to her, the empowerment of women must be considered among moral and global health issues that can only be solved by comprehensive global health solutions. “The critical role of pharmaceutical research and manufacturing in improving women’s health cannot be overstated. Through our collective efforts, we can strengthen women’s involvement in biopharmaceutical research and manufacturing.” She emphasised that it is essential, logical, deserved, and long overdue for women to have a seat at the table when decisions are made regarding their healthcare. ALSO READ: Rwanda among African countries with best vaccine coverage – new research Dr Nadege Nziza, Postdoctoral Researcher, said that the current systems of clinical trials need to take into account the heterogeneity among women because there are so many physiological differences among women of different ages which has a great impact on their responses to pharmaceutical products. These include their weight, hormone levels, and getting closer to menopause, among other factors. Aneto Okeke, Site Head at BioNTech Rwanda, said the key to driving the role of women in manufacturing is creating an enabling environment that encourages women to work to their full potential, and having examples of women who have been able to do so. “At BioNTech, our key goal is to promote diversity, with the percentage of women in our workforce exceeding 50 per cent. Even in Rwanda, women make up 50 per cent of the workforce. We prioritise qualifications when considering individuals for roles,” Okeke said.
