HAGURUKA, a local Non-Governmental Organization that fights for the rights of women and children, has commended the strides taken by the country has in fighting Gender Based Violence (GBV).

HAGURUKA’s President, Zaina Nyiramatama, observed that Rwanda is now a learning centre from which other countries can acquire better strategies to combat the crime.

"About 20 years ago, there were no laws protecting women, girls and even men. Now many laws that fight for these people’s rights are in place and fully functional and others are being passed,” Nyiramatama observed.

"We cannot even measure the extent reached by the government in fighting this crime which was very high in the 1990s and early 2000,” she added

Started 1991, HAGURUKA offers legal advice to women and girls and trains workers in villages on legal procedures as a move to combat GBV in the country.

"Women and children, who are mostly the victims, are now aware of their rights through sensitization programmes and talk shows we have carried out in the last few years,” she said, adding that the crime has now relatively decreased.
According to police statistics, GBV reduced by over 60 percent in the last six years.

Rwanda’s effort to combat GBV by establishing the Gender desk within the police, the Gender Monitoring Office and the establishment of Isange One-Stop Centre in Kacyiru Police Hospital to offer free treatment and counselling to victims of child, domestic and gender based violence, earned herself the honour of hosting the UN conference on GBV.

The Kigali international conference scheduled for October 26 and 27,, will be held under the theme: "Role of Security Organs in Ending Violence against Women” and will bring together 22 countries

The conference is organized by the Rwanda National Police (RNP) in collaboration with the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) gender desk and supported by Rwanda UN family in the framework of the UN Secretary General’s global campaign dubbed "Say No – UNITE to End Violence against Women” (2008-2015) launched on February 25, 2008. 

It is also organized in the spirit of the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325/2000 which is aimed at protecting women and girls during and after armed conflicts and to fully involve females in conflict prevention, management and resolution, peace building and reconciliation

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