President Paul Kagame has received the 2007 African Gender Award for all the substantial gains made in advancing the cause of Rwandan women. The Head of State was selected for this accolade by the Femmes Africa SolidaritÈ, a women’s non-governmental organisation working to engender the peace process in Africa ñ and the Committee of African Women for Peace and Development.

‘Since the 1994 Genocide, Rwanda has been distinguished for its integration of women into power as part of the country’s reconstruction process and its front-and-centre battle against gender-based violence. Rwanda is now the only country in the world that has 48 per cent of women MPs elected in their national Parliament,’ the organisation declared. ‘This award recognises African leaders who have truly demonstrated outstanding achievements when encouraging gender parity in politics.’

‘Mr Kagame made exceptional efforts to promote the rights of women in his country,’ Femmes Africa SolidaritÈ said. Under his leadership, Rwandans voted a new Constitution which gave women a minimum of 30 per cent of the seats at all decision-making levels.

And this April, President Paul Kagame was also presented with the Peace and Innovation Award at the ongoing 2008 World Summit on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. He achieved this latest accolade for leading Rwanda to ‘successful reconciliation through institutionalised power sharing, Gacaca and economic transformation agenda in an innovative way.’

The Gacaca system, which is a blend of the Rwandan traditional justice and contemporary justice models, has helped in handling the huge numbers of Genocide suspects within the available meagre resources, while at the same time fostering unity and reconciliation among Rwandans.

‘Now democracy has come back to Rwanda, there is stability and peace here. There is reconciliation going on. There is the rebuilding of lives in terms of over-coming the tragedy we had in 1994,’ President Kagame said in a special BBC edition of Talking Point. ‘I think a lot has been achieved. Look at the stability the country enjoys… I think I have done my best as a person and as a president to have contributed to all the progress that has taken place in my country.’

Contact: Office of the President
Village Urugwiro, PO BOX 15, Kigali, Rwanda. Tel: +250 5906 2000
Website: www​.gov​.rw/​g​o​v​e​r​n​m​e​n​t​/​p​r​e​s​i​d​ent
and www​.africangenderawards​.org

President Kagame supports his national team at the capital’s Amahoro Stadium ñ Amahoro means peace’ in Kinyarwanda Photo: © H.E. Paul Kagame