Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi has called on the Rwandan women parliamentarians to play a key role in empowering young girls to become responsible future leaders.

The premier was speaking Friday during an event to celebrate the achievements registered by the women legislators over the last five years, an event held under the auspices of their group, the Rwanda Women Parliamentarians Forum. The forum, established in 1996, two years after the Genocide against the Tutsi, aims at empowering women parliamentarians to adequately carry out advocacy on gender and development.

Rwanda’s parliament has a record 56 per cent women representation, the first such feat in the world.

"You should nurture young girls to be responsible women with a passion to develop their country and promote the Rwandan culture,” Habumuremyi told the women.

At the event, the women parliamentarians awarded President Paul Kagame with ‘Gender Champion Leadership Award’ for his outstanding leadership skills and promoting gender equality in all aspects of development.