Oscar Kimanuka
14 March 2006
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Nairobi — The International Women's Day marked every March 8, honours the contributions and achievements of women in the various fields.
The genesis of this day arose from efforts in the early 20th century to promote women's rights, particularly in the area of universal suffrage.
Beyond the suffrage, women and girls have suffered incredible trauma of war - as widows or orphans, displaced from their homes, detained or abducted by armed and lawless brigands as is the case with Joseph Kony's Lords Resistance Army in Northern Uganda.
In situations of war, as has been experienced in the Great Lakes Region, women have demonstrated amazing levels of resilience and resourcefulness.
In the case of Rwanda, women have suffered death, rape and injury. It is estimated that during the 1994 genocide, between 250,000 and 500,000 women and girls, some as young as five - were subjected to rape, torture and physical abuse.
Despite Rwanda's grim past, 11 years on, the women of this country have made giant strides in a number of areas. For instance, Rwanda today tops the international league of women in national legislatures, pushing Sweden and Norway into second and third place.
Rwanda's constitution, promulgated in May 2006, reserves a third of the seats in parliament for women, while the rest are open to both sexes. In the Senate, women hold six out of 20 seats and 39 out of 80 in the Lower Chamber of Deputies. Besides several ministers and ministers of State, there are also other positions held by women, such as the position of the Chief Justice, also known as President of Supreme Court.
Despite these impressive figures, one woman head of a non-governmental organisation in Rwanda has compared them to "flowers" because they look pretty but do little. Perhaps this reference should be a challenge to the women in positions of responsibility to demonstrate their commitment to the cause of rural women.
Women's contribution in the rebuilding of Rwanda has been unprecedented.
There are remarkable achievements so far registered, but rural Rwandan women must be brought into the mainstream of development through their economic empowerment, including education for the girl child. Only then can the impressive figures have meaning.
Oscar Kimanuka is a commentator on social and economic issues based in Kigali
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