Female participation in all spheres is essential for sustainable development

Early this month, the Gender Monitoring Office in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning through National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda organised a one day workshop on the theme: “Gender disaggregated data for effective result-based planning and accountability.” The workshop meant to enhance the Economic Development Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) stakeholders’ commitments on gender mainstreaming through improved gender disaggregated data collection, for effective monitoring and accountability. The results of the first year implementation of EDPRS through joint sector reviews revealed that there are still gaps in terms of gender mainstreaming mainly due to lack of baseline and gender disaggregated data collection. But since the fourth World conference on women held in Beijing in September 1995, the government of Rwanda has invested much efforts in giving women the same opportunities of access to and participation in positions of power and making decisions in all public organs. This has seen women holding 56% seats in parliament, the highest percentage of lawmakers in the world. Besides that, women have since registered other tremendous successes in different public organs, according to Beijing Platform for Action (PFA) 2009 follow-up. It indicates that the health sector takes the first position of having a big number of women. Out of 5914 practicing nurses, 4790 (81%) of them are women. They are followed by deputy mayors in charge of social affairs with 63% and executive secretaries of commissions 62% respectively. Women also hold 50% of positions as judges both in supreme and high court. It is however, revealed that there are still big gaps and differences as reflected in roles, responsibilities, access to resources, constraints, opportunities, needs, perceptions, views, etc held by both women and men Out of all the 18 rectors of universities and higher institutions, none is female. Out of 177 directors of units in all ministries, only 45 (25%) of them are women. Women mayors are at 7% while women prison guards are a miniscule 0.12%. They also hold 38% in the cabinet ministry and 40% in state ministers. During the official opening speech for women parliamentarians’ international conference in February 2007, President Paul Kagame said: “When we Rwandans began to reconstruct our country in 1994, we knew that men and women had to be included in this undertaking if we were to achieve our objective of a better Rwanda.” A transparent and responsible leadership and management as well as sustainable development are only possible if women have more power of action and self reliance in all domains and if they enjoy a better social, economic and political situation. abossie07@yahoo.com