A fight for equality: Female empowerment since 1994

Gender equality in Rwanda was once non-existent. Women with no access to basic rights were marginalized at family and national level. Such inequality, being imbedded in our culture, is hard to overcome. In order to successfully address the critical issue of having women and girls within all social strata, the first step was mass sensitization about the inclusion of the historically disadvantaged sex. The government created a ministry charged with the promotion of family and the stakeholders to the family, and other relevant bodies that were supposed to create special advocacy in order to make gender equilibrium a reality within Rwanda. Among the bodies that came into existence was PROFEMMES TWESE HAMWE, whose purpose is to enhance women penetration into the positions traditionally held by men. Girls were encouraged to join schools so as to compete with their brothers. Massive campaigns began and the barriers that had traditionally barred their access to education such as the tradition of child marriage were actively discouraged. Forced marriage was abolished and laws that give women and girls the same legal rights property ownership were enacted. This was a real breakthrough, and a springboard towards the breakage of traditional taboo. The traditionally disadvantaged were given real hope that has fostered social development ambitions. The crowning of these was government’s decision that at least thirty per cent of the whole cabinet, Parliament, Senate and other administrative structures, must be made up of women. Laws that forbid polygamy were put in place as one way of protecting women. Ante natal visits were introduced and balanced diets provided. Another focus has been giving women skills so that they can start up small businesses. At another level there have been efforts to sensitise women to the issue of sexual violence. Women are encouraged to report cases that are traditionally conceived as taboo. While great steps towards gender equality are being made it is not something that can be achieved over night. Women beyond schooling age are bound to be at a disadvantage. New attitudes towards education for all do little to make up for the fact that they were not able to go to school. As far as empowering women on grass root level, their husbands some times play negative roles such as forcing them to surrender their capital to their spouses, and the old ideology, where men still think that traditionally a woman must remain dependant on a husband persists. It will take time for old attitudes to be replaced by new ones. Another pressing issue is that is of parents’ attitudes towards their daughters, vis-à-vis the issue of dowry. Most of the parents still think that the highest ambition for a girl is to become a housewife and, through marriage, provide her parents with cows. While we must treasure our traditions, it is important that we let go of those which are hindering development. It will take time but as we have already seen, change is not only possibly but inevitable. Let us embrace it. Ends