Women should take advantage of the prevailing friendly policies to contribute more towards the country’s development.

Oda Gasinzigwa, the Minister for Gender and Family Promotion made the remarks on Friday, while addressing the 14th General Assembly of the National Women Council held in Kigali.

Gasinzigwa hailed the role of Rwandan women in the country’s development but urged them to exploit their full potential.

"We can now commend ourselves for the progress and great role played in our country’s development but there is still much we can do with the favourable policies which many of our previous generations missed,” she said.

She called on women to look to the future with renewed focus, determination and act as role models in society.

The assembly reviewed previous achievements and discussed activities set out in next year’s agenda.

Over 84,000 women have joined small cooperatives and 740 women street vendors have been allocated permanent stalls in various market places in Kigali to continue their businesses, according to a report presented to the meeting.

 "It is obvious women have opened up their mind to business and we are ready to help them. Once the problem of women street vendors is solved we shall be happy. It is among our priorities,” Beatrice Mukasine, the Chairperson of the National Women Council (NCC) told The New Times.