Charles Munyaneza, the Executive Secretary of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), has urged women and girls to massively participate in the upcoming parliamentary polls.

He made the call yesterday during a meeting with members of Girls Leaders Foundation, an association that gathers girls and women in leadership in four secondary schools and 30 universities.

Munyaneza pointed out that the importance of girls and women was irrefutable as they are the majority on the electoral list, constituting 56 per cent of all voters on the current electoral list.

Engaging with various Rwandans in their respective categories like women doesn’t mean that there is any gap concerning women participation in elections, but the country has to make sure it doesn’t step back, he said.

"These girls are youth, most of them are voting for the first time and they will be our agents to pass the message to other young people and citizens in general,” he said.

Rosette Nkundimfura, the founder of Girls in Leadership Foundation and a Gender Mainstreaming officer at the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, said girls and women have to know their role in elections and should be at the forefront of the whole electoral process.

"Participation of girls and women in national leadership is crucial as they have the capacity to choose or to be good leaders in any position of national governance. We always tell them to have self-confidence and it is being fruitful as we have five girls who are running in the parliamentary elections,” she said.

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