A total of 25 military, police officers and civilians on Monday started a five-day course on prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, a training that is taking place at Rwanda Peace Academy in Musanze District.

The participants drawn from Rwanda's security organs and other sectors are expected to serve in different peacekeeping missions.

The "Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Course" was organized by Rwanda Peace Academy in partnership with the Government of Japan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The five-day course is expected to equip participants with knowledge required to minimize sexual and gender-based violence in mission areas.

"Sexual and gender-based violence is one of the greatest humanitarian challenges today in Peace Support Operations," Colonel (Rtd) Jill Rutaremara, the Director of the Academy, said Monday at the opening of the course.

"In conflict-affected states, for example, rape is often used as a strategy of warfare to undermine the enemy, demoralize and destabilize communities. Security sector actors should therefore be equipped with knowledge and skills to enable them to effectively prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence."

The course is part of a $210,000 project financed by Japan. Four more courses will be organized in the year 2021/2022.

"Gender-based violence is a difficult problem for peacekeeping missions but also in this Covid-19 situation; therefore this is the best timing to finance this project," Yuko Hotta, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Japanese Embassy in Rwanda, said.

Throughout the course, participants will understand legal and other frameworks associated with it, including the UN ethical code of conduct for peacekeepers.

"I expect to get more knowledge and skills in reporting and preventing gender-based violence cases; and we will be able to train colleagues in different missions," said Mugisha Kanyeshuri, one of the participants.

The Musanze-based RPA trains military, police officers and civilians from different countries who take part in peacekeeping missions.