MP Connie Bwiza.
“With a population that is 52 per cent female, Rwanda cannot ignore women and their rights,” President Paul Kagame said while addressing the Standford Business School Global Speaker Series in April 2014. Indeed they have not been ignored and it’s been an eventful year for Rwandan women.
From hosting the Summer Summit 2014 of the Global Forum of Women in Parliaments (WIP), through maintaining the lead by having the highest number of women parliamentarians to continuously empowering women in various sectors, they continue to be central pillars in our society. As we wrap up the year, some women express their expectations for the coming year, writes Dean Karemera.
Aline Gahongayire, Gospel musician
As women we should try and put more emphasis on developing talent and gaining exposure. We have many talented young women and all they need is to get out there and work on their dreams, create their own brands and take charge of the talent based industry. We are lucky that we now have various avenues to exploit our talents, for instance with the number of TV stations increasing by the day, we can look forward to having more female presenters, and the same thing applies to radio stations. In the music and movie industry, there is still a small number of women and those are opportunities that women should take in 2015. I urge them to be confident and exploit these opportunities.
Beth Nsenga, Parent
I thank the government for its tireless efforts in empowering women but there’s still a long way to go and as women, we should start giving our support too. We have many girls engaging in prostitution and this is a pity. The government has played and is still playing a significant role but it is shocking when women are the ones driving some of these young girls into this behaviour. In 2015, I would like to see concerted efforts into uprooting this behaviour in order to give our girls more chances at having a decent life. Secondly, I would like to urge women to participate in cooperatives; they should take the chances availed for accessing loans from banks and start businesses. Most of these young women join prostitution because they despise such things but we all can’t be employed in the formal sector.
Colombe Akiwacu, Miss Rwanda 2014
What I look forward to is something that is already in place and progressing well but I would like to see it pushed further, and that is education. Without education we won’t be able to build our nation and as women, we have a big role to play since we are regarded as central figures in homes; so we need to demonstrate that at a national level. With initiatives such as Rwanda Girls Initiative that built the Gashora Girls Academy, FAWE Rwanda and proactive action towards increasing the enrolment levels of girls, I believe 2015 will be a fruitful year for Rwandan girls and women.
Mutegwaraba Karamata, Unemployed
I expect to see more women join the private sector as entrepreneurs since there are various opportunities for women. The government has always supported women but I think women still lack the confidence to break out. If we are to be equal players, we need to start participating in other ventures outside the office. Our country needs as many entrepreneurs as possible and women have good qualities when it comes to doing business, so I urge women to use 2015 as a stepping stone towards self-reliance.
Emeline Akineza, Student
We have achieved a lot in the field of education but in some of our programmes, enrollment reveals the social reality of the field of technology. It’s dominated by men. When girls join such programmes, they sometimes face an indirect expectation to perform like guys. In 2015, we need to continue encouraging girls to join the technology industry rather than doubt the ability of another person to deliver. Healthy competition should be encouraged to be able to have equal opportunities where the disproportionate number of guys and girls is not the measure of what everybody brings to the table.
Belize Gikundiro, Student
In 2015, I would like to see more women in leadership. The government legal framework gives 30 per cent for women in leadership roles but this is not reflected in many organisations. As much as I applaud the steps taken so far, we still have a lot of work to do. More emphasis should be put on gender mainstreaming and be implemented. I understand that there might be some hindrances such as lack of confidence, poor mindset but that is where we come in and encourage others.
Jacqueline Mbabazi,Executive Secretary, National Women Council
We want to empower women at the grassroots level. We plan to hear from them and jointly come up with ways to address their challenges and find ways to improve their lives. First of all we want to empower them economically, if you are not economically empowered even if you have all the rights, it won’t have much impact. Rights do not have purchasing power. We want to see women economically empowered. We want to expose these women to opportunities available. There are numerous opportunities they can participate in and there are funds from various government organisations, all they need is support. We want them to be part of the economic wave that is taking over the country at the moment.
Connie Bwiza, Parliamentarian
As a mother, a leader and a citizen, I think it is another chance that we have as women to come out of the usual way we have been doing business. We need to transform ourselves mentally, spiritually, psychologically in order to be key players in the socio-political economy of our country. We shouldn’t allow our country to be dependent on other people other than us Rwandans. In 2015, we should embrace economic empowerment so that we are not seen as liabilities but rather as productive citizens. The government of Rwanda has already given us equal opportunities and it is important to continue building on the standards that we have set so far so that we can be self-reliant, independent and achieve the type of state that we want. We applaud our President who, as a friend, mentor and leader has made us proud mothers and women of this country.
Faith Mbabazi, Journalist
I would like to see an improvement in the maternal health legislation. Most places give maternity leave of a month and a half which affects a mother’s productivity at work without even mentioning how it affects a woman’s body. So, in 2015 I look forward to seeing better policies from organisations that are sensitive to women issues, where women will be able to go on maternity leave for three months as the government policy states and get a monthly payment that can help during her maternity leave. Other than that, I look forward to seeing more women managers in the media because we are still few. Lastly, women need to step out of their comfort zone and take risks in sectors of work.
Beatta Murorukwere, Retailer
In 2015, I hope that gender reforms will be strongly pushed, issues such as poverty and unequal work; policies and gender-based violence are completely eliminated. Although the government has tried to improve the educational participation of girls, there are still many girls who drop out of school yet they can play an active role in society and politics. If we continue to increase the number of girls enrolling in school, then our country surely has a bright future. I would also like to see the media contribute actively toward the promotion of gender equality since this will bring about change in social norms.
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5 resolutions for women in 2015
“This year I turned 30, got engaged and celebrated another amazing year in a career that I absolutely love”, it might be for some. However, there were many more moments throughout the year that were incredibly hard, frustrating, disappointing, sad and overall disheartening, but when you look back at 2014, that’s not what you see. You see a year full of lessons that have given you an incredible perspective on life, love and the need to believe in yourself and everything you stand for, no matter who may doubt you.
2015 will be a year of new beginnings and as such, a chance to apply all that you’ve learned and make it a year of personal growth. So instead of your average “lose 5 pounds” resolution, here are some other resolutions to take on in 2015:
Find your love. That forever kind of love. The type that makes your toes tingle and your heart beat a million miles a minute. The kind where your palms get sweaty and your mouth dries up when you try to talk. That love is something so incredible, so amazing, and so real. Whether it’s with a spiritual being, another human, or a hobby that’s so much more than just a hobby (or all of the above), finding love is the greatest gift you can give yourself.
Be passionate. Who you are and what you believe in, that is your passion. How you defend your actions, how you protect your loved ones, how you convey your thoughts; passion is the true window to your soul. Don’t ever, EVER, let anyone take away your passion. Let it been seen. Let it be heard!
Listen to your intuition. Deep inside you, there is a part of you that has stored years and years of learning and with it; you are able to make decisions within seconds that can save your marriage, career, family, life. Intuition is the most important thing you will ever listen to and you should always hear it out. Learn to take the moments to listen to your inner self, and acknowledge her.
Get to know yourself. No, really, when was the last time you meditated? Or took a walk by yourself just to listen to the sounds of nature? Spending time with yourself and your thoughts is critical not only for your mental health, but also for your overall well-being. Take the time to understand how your mind works, how your body moves and how your breath sounds. When you get to know yourself, you’re getting to know the most important person in your life.
Make better choices. This is kind of the all-encompassing resolution, but if you honestly attempt to follow it, you might be shocked to see the results. Making better choices means eating cleaner, drinking less, parking further and walking more. It means never forgetting to tell people you love them, spending your moments with the right people, putting down your cell phone and having an actual conversation. It means hugging someone who is hurting, listening more than talking, crying from laughing too hard, or simply sitting in silence with your best friend. The idea here is to just be present. Be present in your own life, and in the lives of others. We only get one chance at life, choose to make it amazing.
Happy New Year! May it be your best year yet!
FRENCH VERSION
