The Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion today held a Press Conference to announce the planned activities in regards with the International Women’s Day celebrated every year on 08^th March. Minister Nyirasafari explained that all the activities will focus on celebrating women’s achievements and addressing the remaining gaps as the national theme goes “Preserving the dignity regained.”

Minister Nyirasafari recalled how a woman had no voice in society, family, with no access to education, leadership, and property but noted that a lot has been achieved as far as gender empowerment is concerned. Economically, Rwandan women equally benefit from their country’s development process like their male counterparts, they enjoy equal rights to property such as land, which has been instrumental in enhancing their productive capacities and improving their welfare.

Today, the Rwandan woman has been greatly empowered since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. These are great milestones worth celebrating, the minister said.

Nyirasafari said the Ministry had dedicated the month of March to educate women on a number of issues that are still affecting communities and need a woman’s role such as use of family planning methods, and sanitation.

“Women should embrace the use of different family planning methods so as to control birth rates and also to give birth to a number of children they are able to easily provide for in terms of basic needs and education,” Nyirasafari said.

“Many women today are producing more children than they can look after and this is why we continue seeing cases of malnutrition and street kids increasing every day.”

The Minister urged women to ensure cleanliness in households which she said is the backbone of health. “We also encourage women to know their rights as we engage them more on standing for leadership. They should benefit from programmes targeting women so as to get a voice in society and in other decision making positions,” Nyirasafari added.

Other planned activities include savings awareness campaigns, projects planning and financial literacy. There will also be a week to register gender-based violence cases that have not been given attention in different sectors across the country.