Women leaders have proved cynics wrong

A few days ago Rwanda made its mark in the world history as the first country to ever have a House that is dominated by females. It is not only the 56 percent seats women occupy in our 80-member Chamber of Deputies that is worth mentioning; for the first time in history a woman is ranked number 3 in the country’s political hierarchy. Rwandan women have over the last decade increasingly assumed more influential roles in the country’s governance, a sign of the increasing realisation that leadership and success are not a natural reserve for men. Women have gradually moved away from the periphery to the centre of our political and socio-economic arena, thanks to the visionary leadership of President Paul Kagame. Women constitute more than 50 percent of the entire Rwandan population, and therefore, if fairness was anything to go by, their dominancy in the Chamber of Deputies should not be seen as total surprise. Nonetheless, this political feat has generated excitement among women, and probably questions in the minds of some men, largely because traditionally the woman had been confined to kitchen and farms. Recent experience shows that women can fit into men’s political shoes or even become better performers. The Chief Justice Aloysia Cyanzayire and Mayor of the City of Kigali, Dr Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, are among the women who have registered tremendous success in their respective positions, both having succeeded men. No doubt such successful women leaders are icons for the gender revolution that has swept through our country. They represent a new era where Rwandan women have joined their men counterparts in defeating some of the biggest human challenges in the recent history. By exhibiting enviable competencies in their respective jobs, women leaders are, by implication, rooting for continued political vote of confidence for women. Education minister Dr Daphrose Gahakwa is one of our women leaders who are a symbol of achievements. Her story is that of a resilient African woman who will for many years inspire millions of young women. “I was a refugee and even in that dire situation, and fortunately with the support of UNHCR, I managed to finish my studies,” the minister told a group of FAWE girls ‘students. Needless to say, their success stories have inspired and continue to inspire millions of young ladies, mostly in schools, that they too, can make it. The good news is that various organizations such as FAWE Rwanda have continued to support the Government in promoting girls and women’s education, the cornerstone for future women participation in the national development programmes. According to the National Coordinator of FAWE Rwanda, Ms Odette Mukazi Mutanguha, the organization continues to pursue its noble vision of “Promoting girls and women education so as to promote and develop women leaders who will compete favorably in the domain of science and technology.” We try to produce more women doctors, engineers, and technicians to help our country achieve Vision 2020.” The importance of women in the achievement of the EDPRS and Vision 2020 cannot be over-emphasized. Unrestricted education of both girls and boys is the ultimate way through which our country can shift from agriculture-based economy to a knowledge-driven one. But there must be resolute measures to retain children in school as well as increasing university access. Indeed the recent announcement by Ms Mutanguha that since its establishment in 1999, FAWE Rwanda has sponsored over 6409 students from both primary and secondary in more than 532 schools and over 5018 of these are girls. Knowing that most of these join various Rwandan universities upon completion is indeed good news and more encouragingly, those at the university are all pursuing science related courses. In addition to the above, mentoring programmes, career guidance, empowerment skills and gender teaching methodologies are offered to the girls so as to build their self esteem, solve their psycho-socio problems thus increase the retention rate. These achievements are a result of collaborative efforts between national stakeholders like; the Government of Rwanda, FAWE Region, National Women Council, National Youth Council and international stakeholders like United States Agency for International Development (USAID), The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Action Aid, DFID, Sida, AED, among others, have all been reliable partners in the process of educating the Rwandan girl child across the country. “We are pleased to be your advocacy partners, sponsors and friends,” the US Secretary of Education, Ms Margaret Spelling, observed during her recent visit to Rwanda. While in Kigali, Ms Spelling delivered a promise to FAWE Girls’ School students: “The responsibility of the US Government is to continue supporting you.” Such a statement from a foreign leader shouldn’t be taken for granted. Neither should it only excite us. Rather, it should provoke Rwandan companies and individuals into investing in education by taking as many children to school. Together, each Rwandan within his or her capacity can contribute towards building an educated future Rwandan generation. This responsibility should not be seen as a reserve of the Government or wealthy investors, rather a mutual responsibility for each one of us. The author is the Communications Officer of FAWE Rwanda: marieblessed@yahoo.com