Impact of the Rwandan Women Parliamentarians' Forum Programme

SUMMARY: In Rwanda, as elsewhere, there are many examples showing that men have generally played a dominant role in Rwandan society. For a long time, women's civil and political rights were disregarded in favour of male privileges. The fact that they were not allowed to participate fully in political life has led to inequalities between men and women. Men place their trust solely in themselves, and not in their wives, as illustrated, for example, by the following proverbs: 'Nta nkoko kazi ibika isake ihari' (no hen crows in the presence of the cock) and 'Nuko wabaye umugabo sha' (now you have become a man). It is against this backdrop that the Rwandan Parliament and Government, as part of their overall agenda, established the FFRP in 1996, on the initiative of women's organisations with a vision of building a society characterised by equality and equity between the two sexes. The satisfactory results are remarkable. A country such as Rwanda, which aspires to integrated sustainable development and equitable justice, cannot claim to achieve these goals as long as the various sections of its population do not enjoy equal opportunities and the same prospects for development.