The countrywide awareness campaign against gender-based violence and child abuse ended yesterday with a call on Rwandans to unite against the vice. 

The Minister for Internal Security, Sheikh Musa Fazil Harelimana, presided over the official closing ceremony in Kicukiro District, after a month of nationwide awareness activities.

The exercise was organised by Rwanda National Police in partnership with the Ministries of Gender and Family Promotion, Health and Justice, and One-UN Rwanda to harness public disavowal of GBV and child abuse.

The campaign was conducted under the theme, "Act together in Prevention of and Response to GBV and Child Abuse.”

"To be able to fight and prevent the acts of GBV, we need to understand, identify and know how to address them collectively,” Harelimana said.

"As Rwandans, we need to act together, make it a collective responsibility to address society issues, including GBV and child abuse,” he added.

The minister said GBV and child abuse cases have reduced significantly since 2012, adding that there is still a gap since some members of the public are yet to own this exercise.

About 1,682 and 1,445 cases of defilement were registered in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

A total of 281 cases of rape were also recorded in that order, he added. At least 25 men were killed by their spouses and 67 women by their husbands in the same years.

The government has put in place various strategies to combat and respond to GBV and child abuse challenges, including the establishment and scaling up of Isange One-Stop Centre, to offer medical and legal support to the victims.

The Isange factor

Isange, started in July 2009 at Kacyiru Police Hospital as a pilot project, is set to be established in all district hospitals across the country by 2017, to provide free psycho-socio, medical and legal services to adult and child survivors of gender-based violence and child abuse.

"Victims of GBV and child abuse deserve to be given hope for the future instead of being isolated. Let’s learn how to openly address our family issues and report to Police in time to ensure that justice is served, and victims are care for,” the minister said.

Clara Anyangwe, the deputy director of UN Women in Rwanda, said the country’s commitment to fighting GBV and child abuse is worth emulating.

"Children, women and girls need to know their rights and men should be fully engaged in this process,” Anyangwe said.

The closing ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Oda Gasinzizigwa, IGP Emmanuel Gasana, the Mayor of Kigali Fidel Ndayisaba, among others.

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