A delegation of 30 officials in charge of gender from various African countries attending an international conference on gender equality in Rwanda, yesterday, visited Isange One Centre at Kacyiru hospital, to learn from the centre’s achievements in as far as addressing gender-based violence (GBV) is concerned.

The officials include ministers, Members of Parliament and medical practitioners, among others.

At Isange, they were received by Chief Supt. Lynder Nkuranga, the Deputy Commissioner for Public Relations, Media and Protocol at Rwanda National Police (RNP), who briefed them on the centre’s achievements since its inception in 2009, and took them on a guided tour.

She narrated the centre’s modus operandi from the initial moment of receiving victims to the last stage where professionals assess the victims’ condition to discharge and delivering justice.

Chief Supt. Nkuranga briefed the officials on the comprehensive services provided at the centres including emergency actions, treatment, free legal services, trauma counseling and aftercare services.

Tadesse Engida, from Ethiopia, lauded the holistic approach employed at Isange; a model she said should be benchmarked in other African countries.

Rukiya Mohamed, from South Sudan, observed that "most victims of GBV come from poor backgrounds and that such aftercare programmes empower victims through socio-economic schemes and prevents further abuses.”

CSP Nkuranga explained that the centre, which has been scaled up to all district hospitals, is meant to provide professional services to victims and delivering justice to Rwandans.

Earlier on, the centre was also visited by officials from the Swedish Police led by Inspector, Thereza Skogbund Shokarabi, who also toured various wings including the psycho-socio, counseling and the children wings.

She lauded RNP for its efficiency in protecting the vulnerable groups and commended the milestones Rwanda has made over the years in addressing GBV and child abuse.

"This is very important. Rwandans are really in the lead for equality and justice” said Shokarabi.

The global gender gap 2017 report, by the World Economic Forum, indicates that Rwanda climbed one place to fourth, globally.

The Global Gender Gap Report benchmarks 144 countries on their progress towards gender parity across four thematic dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. 

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