A delegation of women from various countries yesterday started a 10-day tour of the country to particularly learn about the role of women in Rwanda’s reconstruction efforts and peace building.The 12 senior professionals are from United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands. The friendship tour is organised by Rwanda Association of University Women (RAUW) and SRIA Rwanda Ltd.“The importance of friendship tour, especially among women, is useful in creating international understanding and contributing to peace,” said retired US diplomat Bonnie Lincoln.She hopes to learn how local women have contributed to national healing and progress following the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.“I wanted to learn more about Rwanda because it is leading the world on certain issues of women’s empowerment and I’m really fascinated. I want to know if there is a noticeable difference since more than 50 percent of the people in government are women,” noted Heiki Mensch from GermanySouth African human rights activist, Professor Gertrude Fester, who is the Deputy Director of the Centre for Gender, Culture and Development (CGCD) at the Kigali Institute of Education, is among those hosting the group.“This is an opportunity to work and meet with other women who are involved in politics around the world and to exchange and share strategies,” she said.“Patriarchy is alive and well in all countries, although it may be more subtle in the first world.”Shamsi Kazimbaya, a RAUW member and a Masters student at the CGCD, however, said Rwanda still needed to learn from other countries as well.“As Rwandans, this is a unique opportunity to learn from other women. Rwanda is an emerging country that has done well in reconstruction and gender equality. But we still need to learn from other countries.” Prof. Shirley Randell, the Managing Director of SRIA Rwanda Ltd, said the Friendship tours are part of the programmes organised by the International Federation of University Women that brings women from all countries, ethnicities and professions together to share experiences.
