The Rwanda Correction Services (RCS) have revealed plans to provide women-only correctional facilities in each province in order to ease prison conditions and promote women’s interests.

There is currently only one women-only facility in the country, located in Ngoma District, Eastern Province that accommodates 583 inmates, 54 per cent of whom were convicted of genocide crimes. According to the RCS public relations officer, SIP Michael Kamugisha, the move was timely.

"They will have space to carry out income generating activities that benefit both the prisons as well as the prisoners. They will learn skills that will help them not only in prison but also when they complete their sentences”, he explained.

The prisoners will be able to learn handicrafts and modern agriculture as well as receive technical vocational courses in addition to literacy programmes.

According to the RCS spokesperson, the move will reduce prison congestion around the country and therefore make it easier to manage them.   Nyamagabe Prison in the Southern Province will soon become a women-only facility with the male inmates already being transferred to other prisons in the province.   

The women-only facility in the Western Province will be located in Nyamasheke District. Musaze Prison in the Northern Province and Gasabo Prison in Kigali City will also be converted into women-only facilities.

"It is the major long-term project. Once the money gets released the project will be implemented in different phases”, Kamugisha added. Recent figures show there are over 53,000 prisoners in 13 prisons. Women who The New Times spoke to received the move positively.

"Such a move will provide better correctional services for women. When men get released we see that they have acquired different vocational skills. I hope that women will receive such training as well,” said Leocadie Nyinawayezu, who was visiting a relative on Friday. MP Constance Rwaka, the chairperson of the parliamentary committee on national budget and patrimony, welcomed the idea.

"We are set to meet representatives from the Ministry of Internal Security on June 11 to discuss the project. We will discuss the policy and the budget. The idea of separating the sexes is good in principle”, she revealed.