As Rwanda joins the rest of the world to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th, 2013, the First Lady Mrs. Jeannette Kagame will be launching Rwandan Women and Girls’ Month as well as the national campaign to reward Best Performing Girls and Malayika Murinzi – Guardian Angels – in Musanze District.

The Best Performing Girls rewarding campaign began in Rwanda in 2005 in an effort to promote girls’ education. Under the leadership of the First Lady, Imbuto Foundation aimed to encourage high academic performance in school girls through combined efforts of the community, parents, teachers and local leaders.

Approximately 3,460 girls have been rewarded since the project began and this year alone, more than 400 girls will be awarded. Most will receive school materials and those leaving S6 will be rewarded with laptops.

Since its first edition, more than 280 "Malayika Murinzi” have been rewarded and this year close to 70 will be acknowledged with a certificate and a dairy cow.

This year’s theme for Women and Girls’ Month in Rwanda is "Gender Equality that Promotes Family Dignity”.