by Maxime Rwendeye (UNIFEM Central Africa Regional Office)

In Rwanda women suffer both from community and domestic violence despite ratification of international instruments against discrimination of women through the ICCPR, the International Convention on Civil and Political rights. Internally, Rwanda set up a series of structures and the environment is in favour of promotion of gender equality: A permanent Beijing secretariat has been established, the creation of a ministry of gender (MIGEPROF), a department in charge of gender issues has been set up at the district and provincial levels; creation of women's councils, a Forum for Rwandan Women Parliamentarians.

UNIFEM is the women’s fund at the United Nations. It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality.Interventions have been focused on the following strategies: using the existing structures like Umuganda (community work) in order to encourage community participatory dialogue but this still less used; the involvement of men as role models is less used; engaging leaders at the grass roots level.

On the of 16P^thP November 2007 we noticed that during an address to launch an informal educational system (ITORERO Ry'igihugu) aimed at mitigating Rwanda's socio-economic challenges, President Kagame urged Rwandans to have self esteem and not under-value their own potential in solving their problems. Through this informal system, people are encouraged to deal with issues such as national unity and GBV. This appeal was to encourage the community to be aware of its responsibility including tackling Gender Based Violence (this was particularly pointed out by the Ministry of Local Government). I hope this will build a community mobilization and combat violence against women. Community will be encouraged to adapt their own strategies to the conditions in their own community or develop innovative projects of their own.

The 16 Days of activism campaign in Rwanda is an occasion of arising awareness of GBV issues. Activities are organized in the whole country: sensitization seminars with male participants, sensitization seminars in all five provinces to sensitize women in rural areas on their rights where they can seek assistance and what type of support authorities/organizations can provide; public lectures by prominent advocates against VAW where readouts of victim's of VAW testimonies will be held; media campaign, etc.

UNIFEM with other partners are putting much effort in fighting GBV but we still have a long way to go.