Source: The New Times
The First Lady, Jeannette Kagame, has said Rwanda is determined to fight gender-based violence and has urged the public to join efforts to stop the vice

. Mrs Kagame made the call while officially launching the Isange One Stop Centre for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) at Nyagatare District Hospital, in the Eastern Province yesterday.

The launch was preceded by an anti-GBV march from downtown Nyagatare to the newly established Centre to raise more awareness on ending gender violence. "Rwanda has the political will to protect all citizens," Mrs Kagame said.

In 2009, the government in partnership with various stakeholders established the first Isange One Stop Centre at the Police hospital in Kacyiru, Kigali. The Centre was designed to offer a wide range of services to help victims of gender violence. These include medical, psycho-social, forensic and legal services.

"After the Centre registered remarkable success, the government decided to open up more centres in hospitals across the country," Mrs Kagame said. She hailed the police for enabling the centres to succeed. Despite the efforts to stop gender based violence, available figures show that cases of abuse are still high.

"Research shows that conflict in homes, drugs and alcohol are the leading causes of gender-based violence. I call upon everybody to devise strategies of ending the vice," the First Lady said. Mrs Kagame also spoke out against other forms of violence, noting that cases of rape, physical abuse and domestic violence need due attention as well - not forgetting violence against men and sexual abuse of boys. These forms of abuse, she said, have adverse effects on people's wellbeing.

"There are cases where people get killed, get infected with HIV/Aids and others are traumatised," Mrs Kagame observed. She urged the people to report cases of abuse and called upon care givers to closely follow up on victims and respond rapidly to cases of abuse.

Mrs Kagame thanked all partners for their continued support in spreading Isange services to various hospitals in the country. Among the Key partners is the One UN and Dutch Government which donated 2.5 million Euros. The Dutch Ambassador to Rwanda Leoni Cuelenaere said the launch of the centres marked a new phase of Rwanda's relentless campaign against GBV.

"The commitment of Rwanda to end the vice is known all over the world. Our country is proud to support this programme," she said. The choice of the Eastern Province as the venue for the launch was triggered by the fact that it is the second Province after the City of Kigali, with the highest numbers of GBV cases. In the last two years, more than 558 victims were treated at the GBV centre in Nyagatare.

A moving testimony by a victim of violence left the audience emotional. Jackline, was defiled and impregnated at 13. She delivered a baby boy who is now two-years old. She spoke of how she was abused physically, but managed to overcome the psychological and emotional torture. She has since returned to school and dreams of becoming a governor so that she can help stop the violence. The First Lady pledged to help her achieve her dreams.

 

The First Lady, Jeannette Kagame, cuts the ribbon to launch the Isange One Stop Centre at Nyagatare Hospital yesterday, with the help of IGP Emmanuel Gasana and the Dutch Ambassador to Rwanda, Mrs. Leoni Cuelenaere. Courtesy.

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