UK funds further work by UNIFEM in Rwanda - February 2008

Progress for Women Is Progress for All

UK funds further work by UNIFEM in Rwanda

UNIFEM's work with the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) to tackle sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) will be scaled up with support of $350,000 from the UK Department for International Development (DFID). These funds will cover activities over a period of three months which are part of a three year programme costing $3.3 million.

The joint programme between UNIFEM and the RDF has registered notable success in the short time since its launch in September 2007. Over 2,200 RDF officers and cadets, ex-combatants, local defence forces, and opinion leaders have been trained on preventing and responding to SGBV. RDF officers preparing for peacekeeping missions were included in this training to ensure that they are equipped to actively prevent and respond appropriately to SGBV in areas of conflict and post-conflict. A Gender Based Violence Desk has been set up at the Ministry of Defence and the RDF magazine INGABO published a special edition on SGBV following a survey on the prevalence of these crimes in the Eastern and Northern provinces.

With the DFID funds the armed forces will be able to follow up activities they have highlighted as needing immediate attention. Decentralised units charged with liaising with the GBV Desk at the Ministry of Defence will be strengthened and equipped with hotlines. SGBV manuals will be developed for the cadet training schools. An international seminar will focus on the issue of increasing the participation of women officers in peacekeeping missions. These key activities present an opportunity to further the efforts of the military in the communities through public awareness campaigns denouncing GBV as a national security threat and social menace. They build on similar work being done by the National Police's GBV Desk. The National Police and Ministry of Defence will collaborate in providing a comprehensive and coordinated response to SGBV in Rwanda. This will include provision for the police to investigate GBV cases that implicate members of the RDF which until now has not been possible.

This is the second UNIFEM SGBV project in Rwanda to be funded by DFID in the last 12 months. Rwanda is one of six countries in a two year community-based programme to support women in peacebuilding and prevention of sexual violence which DFID is also funding.

RDF officers bound for peacekeeping missions receive training on gender concepts and sexual and gender-based violence.

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The projects undertaken by UNIFEM make a difference to the everyday lives of women around and their families around the world. UNIFEM UK needs your support to help fund this work and to raise awareness of the issues affecting women's rights and security.