African countries must come up with effective ways to control the escalating violence against women and girls on the continent.

Oda Gasinzigwa, the Minister for Gender and Family Promotion, made the call yesterday at the opening of the Annual General Assembly of Kigali International Conference Declaration (KICD), that brought together delegates from 34 African countries.

The conference, held under the theme; "Turn back crime against women and girls; the synergy of African security organs,” was derived from Interpol’s global campaign aimed at raising awareness against gender based violence.

Citing cases of violence against women on the continent by armed militias such as FDLR in eastern DRC, and Boko Haram in Nigeria, as well as persistent human trafficking, Gasinzigwa told participants that Africa must treat the scourge as terrorism.

"Violence is not just a transgression of human rights but a dehumanising act. It is undeniable that women and girls still experience violence in different forms. They are subjected to sexual, economic, psychological as well as physical violence,” Gasinzigwa said.

"It is, therefore, evident that different actors need to work toward ending violence against women. We must end the impunity that too often leaves perpetrators unaccountable for their crimes. We must redress the low status of women and girls around the world that renders them vulnerable,” she noted.

The minister also called on security organs and lawmakers in Africa to fill existing gaps in national legislations and impose tough penalties for sex offenders and human traffickers.

The Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel Gasana, highlighted actions initiated to curb violence against women, underlining the need for open links between continental police and army institutions to share critical information on fleeing offenders and cross border crimes related to gender violence.

"It is time to end violence against women and girls. As those charged with security and order in our respective countries, we have to move from commitment to concrete action,” Gasana said.

Nazaire Hounnonpe, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in Benin, who is also the outgoing Chair of KICD, appealed to African states to adopt strong legal frameworks and sign declarations that would significantly reduce gender based violence on the continent.

"This is a global challenge. We know of Boko Haram and FDLR but this plague happens inside societies and homesteads,” he said.

"The existence of specific institutions to monitor initiatives aimed at ending violence against women as well as rehabilitation centres for the afflicted must be readily available in order to help and reintegrate gender violence victims,” he added.

Olabisi Olawole, the Chief Superintendent of Nigerian Police, said violence against women and children in Africa is responsible for high HIV/Aids infections on the continent.

"We need to protect vulnerable children and establish legal protection mechanisms. We also need to empower women and girls economically to reduce exploitation. We must come up with home-grown initiatives to fight sexist myths and beliefs that promote gender violence,” she said.

One major achievement from Kigali International Conference Declaration since its establishment in 2010 is the launch of the Africa centre for coordination of action in Kigali last year.

The body seeks to have membership of all 54 African states, as well as establish a joint task force that independently investigates crimes committed against women on the continent.

In 2009, the First Lady, Jeannette Kagame, launched the Isange One-Stop Centre, which is a specialised free-of-charge facility where victims of gender based violence can get medical, psychological and legal help.

Defilement topped gender based crimes in Rwanda in 2012, according to statistics from police, although the cases dropped by 3.9 per cent, from 3,585 in 2010 to 3,444 in 2011.