KIGALI – Our country’s history had been for a long time, one defined by destruction, brokenness and defeat. The aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi left little that could inspire hope. Within a span of 100 days, one million women, men and children had been mercilessly slaughtered. Families were completely decimated, leaving behind 75,000 children living without one or both parents. Furthermore, between 250,000 and 500,000 women were systematically raped, with the added malicious intent to infect them with HIV. But today, after 26 years of healing and growth, we can look back and see the total transformation that we have undergone as a country and a society; a transformation brought about through the relentless efforts of men and most significantly, women. That’s why this year’s national theme on International Women’s Day, “Transformational change: Women at the Forefront”, speaks to me. It gives us a chance to reflect on the diverse aspects that Rwandan women have contributed to the total transformation of our country. The story of transformation began, for me, soon after the tragedy of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Rwanda was in a state of need, and it was imperative that each one of us could provide and support in any way we could. It was through this that the Polyclinic of Hope was created. Faced with the process of healing and rebuilding as a country, the Polyclinic of Hope served to address issues that women who had survived gang rapes during the Rwandan Genocide were going through. Later on, women who had undergone Gender Based Violence (GBV) also received services from polyclinic. Other services included providing women with free medical care, including Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), free trauma counseling and psychotherapy, to help them deal with issues that had left them traumatised and broken. The polyclinic still exists today, and continues to serve its purpose as a refuge and support system for vulnerable women and their surrounding communities. As an added value, these women, receive training on gender, power relations, and Gender Based Violence (GBV) and are now practicing community paralegals and Women’s Safe Space facilitators, advocating for members of their communities. Being a paralegal is not limited to just women; these volunteers include men, who understand that the process of resolving issues and educating the community is the responsibility of both women and men. They work side by side, spreading awareness and providing information on the existing legal frameworks, policies, and rights in relation to gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Polyclinic of Hope was what led to the creation of Rwanda Women’s Network (RWN) in 1997. For the organisation, it was important that our drive and focus was on women, and addressing issues that affect them. It was, and continues to be our belief that when you empower a woman, you empower the whole community. Our story of transformation has been a lifelong journey, one of empowering and equipping women with the tools needed for them to succeed. As its founder and director, but most importantly a Rwandan woman, I was drawn to helping women in my country, it was important to develop programs that would ensure that women would develop the capacity to pursue leadership roles in every capacity. Through our Women’s Safe Spaces, we address issues on leadership, where women receive training on GBV, power relations, legislation on gender issues, critical thinking, managing conflicts, and business skills to name but a few. Through these safe spaces, women are provided with psycho-social support, but also encouraged through the creation of income generating activities, to be financially independent. Sessions in the safe spaces are also held with girls from the community; these usually consist of intergenerational discussions to mentor and support girls especially on topics relating to sexual reproductive health, as they greatly concern both women and girls. The girls, also known as Girl Champions, help run the safe spaces, learning, sharing, and educating their peers within the safe spaces and in the community. Projects such as these help women to realize the power they have within themselves to pursue leadership roles as individuals, in their homes, and communities. Under our governance programme, women and members of vulnerable groups are empowered to take up leadership roles. They are encouraged to actively participate in governance and policy making. RWN contributes to the transformative governance, by promoting citizen participation in the decision making processes, and improving service delivery through the implementation of community scorecards. Women are at the forefront of the work that we do, taking up leadership roles as Governance Focal Persons, who support the implementation of the community scorecards and collect feedback from leaders, and disseminate it to their community members; this contributes to the planning process at district level. Transformation not only includes the change of mindset of people, but the change in the manner in which we address issues. With the ever-changing topography of digital technology, more young people are headed online to search for SRH solutions. Rwanda is currently reporting an increase in the number of teenage pregnancies, with the number in 2018 rising to an alarming 19,832 pregnant underage girls. Under our Menya Wirinde Program, still at its planning phase, we are using technology and social media to adapt to the current ways of communicating, to deliver information and advice to young people, especially teenage girls. Our chosen social media platform is Facebook, as we will be able to have a live chatbot, which interacts and answers questions that young people might be curious about, but unable to openly ask. As smart phones and computers are easily accessible for a majority of the youth, this way of addressing issues seems to be one that will be readily available to most. For individuals that have no access to these tools, there will be access to these services through one of six available mobile access points, currently only in Bugesera and Nyarugenge Districts. The hope is that these services will be made available throughout the country with the use of school libraries, and computer labs, but also utilising the connections made through our Girl Champions to be able to reach out to other young girls in the community. This March, as we are celebrating International Women’s Month, on a national level, we are reminded that there are still existing challenges that affect women that we need to address. However, we should continue to be strengthened through our efforts as a country, that indeed transformational change is achievable. Rwanda Women’s Network vows to continue striving to push the transformative agenda, through empowering Rwandan women; providing them with the necessary tools, knowledge and skills to engage men, and encouraging them to work together to achieve gender justice and equality, in their homes, communities, and country at large. We believe with continued combined efforts, from grassroots to high offices of government, Rwanda will be headed towards a total transformation. One of a healthy, empowered and peaceful society. The author is Director of Rwanda Women’s Network. The views expressed in this article are of the author.
