Kagame reassures women on equality

THOUSANDS of women representing different women groups across the country have praised the inclusive policies introduced under the leadership of President Paul Kagame.The women had gathered at the national stadium, yesterday, where they interacted with the Head of State at a MeetThePresident session in Kigali.Over the last 19 years, Rwanda has made remarkable achievements in reducing gender based inequality with women exercising more of their rights, they said.The President noted that Rwandans cannot claim to be on the path to transformation if women are excluded, yet they constitute more than fifty per cent of the population.Women occupy majority seats in the current Parliament, at 56 per cent, and the country’s laws protect their rights to equal opportunity to employment, inheritance and land tenure.“I would like to thank you, your Excellency. Your leadership has inspired me. I believe in your vision and I love you so much,” said Chance Tubane, a young Rwandan entrepreneur who left Belgium and launched a job search website for thousands of her compatriots, mainly the youth.Tubane said that she had always looked for ways how she could have an impact on the lives of her fellow citizens, and thanked the country’s leadership that helped her realise her dream.More women testified how they felt about inclusive policies in the country, many of them emphasising that their work had helped their families and earned them respect not only from their spouses, but also their communities.Dancille Mukangerageze from Rulindo District shared that her hard work has made her a prosperous poultry farmer, growing from 300 chickens to 4,500 and she currently supplies 15,000 eggs to the local market every day.President Kagame encouraged the women to keep striving for their own development and also look at their work as a contribution to the development of both their families and the country.The Head of State encouraged both men and women to work together in protecting each other’s rights, an approach he described as the basis for the country’s sustainable development.The President reminded the men to support women in their quest for equal rights saying that whatever is good for the women is great for the men as well. He added that if the women are poor, the men suffer the effects and if they are doing well, the family including the men benefit from wealth.Kagame pointed out that the ruling party, RPF, stands for inclusive politics where all the members of the society are equal. Equality, the President said, does not only give women dignity, but to each and every Rwanda.“There are places where women are forgotten and left behind… this will not happen in Rwanda,” the President reassured the women.ChallengesThe women, most of whom were also representing others through the National Women’s Council (NWC), told the President that they still faced challenges such as lack of clean water, limited access to credit facilities, and the slow progress in the establishment of the maternity fund which would compensate women who may want to have more days of maternity leave.The fund was mooted after the new labour code reduced maternity leave from 12 weeks to six.Kagame promised continued work towards addressing the issues and pledged to continue championing inclusive approaches to overcoming the country’s challenges.The President could surely count on women’s support as he continues to lead the country towards development, NWC’s president, Francesca Tengera, promised in her speech amid loud applause. Click here for more photos