Minagri unveils gender strategy

In a bid to promote gender balance in the agriculture sector, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) has put in place a new programme known as Agriculture Gender Strategy.While launching the programme, the Permanent Secretary in MINAGRI, Ernest Ruzindaza, said that the strategy is aimed at empowering women to be more active in the sector. “According to our analysis, we believe that it’s imperative to help women who are engaged in agriculture get more capacity which will help improve output. It’s in this regard that we have, today, launched the agriculture gender strategy,” Ruzindaza said.He said that currently a big number of Rwandan women are engaged in various agricultural activities but don’t earn enough from them.Ruzindaza noted that there was a need to come up with a strategy which would enable women to perk up the benefits from their daily agricultural activities.He said that agriculture and livestock farming are key drivers of development and thus should not be despised. The World Bank Country Manager for Rwanda, Mimi Ladipo, commended the ministry for launching the strategy, saying that would spur the country’s efforts towards achieving sustainable development in general.She called upon other ministries and government institutions to also put in place similar programmes.The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, Julienne Munyaneza, said that her ministry will collaborate with MINAGRI in implementing the new strategy.Jean Chrisostome Mutsindashyaka, the Executive Secretary of HAGURUKA, a local Non-Governmental Organisation that fights for the rights of women and children, welcomed the programme saying that this will help his institution to easily sensitise the general population about promoting the rights of women and children in the country.

National

Minagri unveils gender strategy