Women MPs to meet in Rubavu

Members of the Rwanda Women Parliamentarian Forum (RWPF) will next week hold a three-daysmeeting in Rubavu, Western Province, to evaluate the progress of the implementation of action plans, adopt the annual reports and approve the operational activities for the next year. According to the Parliament’s Director General for Communication and Outreach, Augustin Habimana, the meeting is in accordance with the statute of the Forum, which provides that members meet twice annually. Habimana said that the lawmakers will discuss various issues including examining and adopting the narrative & financial reports for 2009 and the 2009audit report. “They will examine and adopt the work plan of 2010-2011, examine and adopt the budget for the next year, analyze membership requests and approve them, and share knowledge on the relevant information concerning the new National Gender Policy and its strategic plan among others,” he said. The general Assembly is organized in collaboration with the UNDP and European Parliamentarians for Africa. Since its formation in 1996, Rwanda Women Parliamentarian Forum (RWPF) works towards uniting women parliamentarians together, irrespective of political party affiliations. RWPF’s core mission is to fight gender-based violence, help review the existing laws on women’s rights and a gender-based control of government action and budget. It introduced bills and amendments to change discriminatory statutes and examined proposed laws, all with the aim of promoting gender sensitivity in the country. Ends