The Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion is engaging in gender equality dialogues in higher learning institutions to discuss women's empowerment, gender-based violence prevention and response, and gender equality promotion.
Rwanda has developed a national Men Engage in Gender Transformative Strategy, which aims to engage men and boys in achieving gender equality.
During a lecture at Mount Kenya University, Silas Ngayaboshya, the Director-General of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, emphasized that gender is not just a women's issue, but men and boys should also play a role in achieving gender equality. He said, "Men and boys should act as aligned policy patterns if we want gender equality promotion to be sustainable."
According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2022, Rwanda has ranked sixth among the top ten countries that have closed more than 80% of the gender gap in the world. Rwanda has reduced the gender gap in tertiary education by 2.9% and ranked as the first African country to achieve gender balance.
Furaha Charlene, a student and public relations officer of the Gender Club at MKU, said that the university does everything possible to ensure that gender is promoted in all areas. The Gender Club serves as a safe and convenient environment for students to express their experiences related to gender issues they face inside or outside the university in order to find solutions, and the participation is well-balanced.
ALSO READ: Gender transformation should be Rwanda’s goal to achieve equality – RWAMREC
Silas Ngayaboshya urged men and boys to participate in the equal distribution of unpaid care work that is predominantly done by women and girls to promote positive gender norms and to enable women to pursue paid work. He emphasized that there is no development and sustainability if gender equality is not promoted and if society does not change their perspectives on social and gender norms.
Joyce Kirabo, a lecturer at MKU, said that they involve all students in all activities across the university. The university plans to implement gaps found by putting in place career guides that advise both boys and girls on how to select their careers based on their abilities rather than their sex. The university also empowers girls in all activities related to leadership