The Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) has acknowledged the need for more female prison warders to address specific needs of incarcerated women.

With 5,618 women currently in correctional facilities, some of them face unique challenges, including caring for their children within the facilities.

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RCS data shows that 382 children under the age of three reside with their mothers in correctional facilities.

There are two circumstances that make children live with their mothers in prison: Female prisoners who either get sentenced while pregnant or when their children are under 3 years old.

For this reason, they have rights to live with their mothers to benefit from breastfeeding and maternal care.

Once children reach three years, family members of the detained mothers can assume responsibility, since the law permits separation of infants from their mothers at this age.

On a specific note, international guidelines emphasise that children in prison with their mothers should not be treated as prisoners, ensuring maximum opportunities for maternal interaction and an environment resembling that outside prison.

Without divulging more details, information from RCS shows that female correctional officers make up only 25 percent of the total population of all correctional officers.

In an interview with The New Times, Chief Inspector Lillian Uwingabire, the Director of Gender at RCS, talked about the importance of female correctional officers in addressing specific needs of female inmates, for example during pregnancy or while caring for infants.

She noted that there are challenges related to the limited number of female officers in comparison to the population of women within correctional facilities.

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Out of Rwanda's 13 correctional facilities, only four house female inmates – Nyamagabe, Ngoma, Musanze, and Mageragere (Nyarugenge).

In an interview, Benjamin Sesonga, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, stressed that an increased number of female officers contributes to improved services, especially in conducting security checks on female inmates.

He also talked about challenges related to the fact that the accommodation facilities of female officers are within the same premises as those of their male counterparts.

He noted that there are ongoing efforts to make some improvements in accommodation, and a plan is in place to have it done by 2025.

Grace Muteteri, a female correctional officer, admitted the need for better accommodation, although she acknowledged that they are not faced with any immediate issues with the current shared premises.