The African Union (AU) has recognised efforts by the Rwandan government to empower women by giving them access to decision-making positions in the country’s political landscape. In an exclusive interview with The New Times, the Director of Women, Gender and Development Directorate at the AU, Litha Musyimi-Igana, said that some African countries have ignored women’s services which have slowed the developing processes on the continent. “Rwanda is the leading country in Africa which has discovered the role and significance of women as far as development in Africa is concerned. If you see their participation, especially domination of women in parliament, it makes us proud as women since we were anciently taken as inferiors,” she said. Musyimi-Igana urged Rwandan women to lay strategies and mechanisms consolidating themselves in important positions as well as sustaining the achievements they have realized in Rwanda and African as a continent. “They must fight as women to strengthen their ability and lay mechanisms to make sure they sustain the good achievement they have made”. She called upon all African women to take the lead from their Rwandan counterparts if they are to make the set goals like the MGDs in their respective countries a reality. “African women will remain lagging behind if they don’t come out to fight for their rights through indulging in their self development and their countries,” she said adding that in achieving this, Rwandan women have to be taken as role models. Meanwhile in the same interview, Litha also thanked the incredible work that First lady Jeannette Kagame has done in fighting malaria, AIDS and the well being of women and children in Rwanda. “I really appreciate and commend the outstanding performance that Madam Jeannette Kagame has dedicated to women and child health in her country; this justifies her commitment of developing women in Africa and world at large.” Ends
