N’Djamena: June 18^th, 2019:

The Right Honourable Prime Minister, Dr. Ngirente Edouard represented the President of the Republic of Rwanda, His Excellency Paul KAGAME in the International Conference on Girl’s education and women’s training, organised by the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF). This conference is taking place in N’Djamena, Chad from 18-19^th June 2019.

The Prime Minister revealed that for countries to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there is a need to ensure access for all to quality education on an equal footing between girls and boys, and promote women's learning opportunities.

The Premier highlighted that Rwanda firmly believes that equal opportunities for girls and boys play a very important role in achieving the desired transformation of the country. He further insisted that the Rwandan society has understood that the education given to girls is not a favour given to them but rather a fundamental human right linked to equal opportunities among community members.

The Prime Minister shared with participants in this conference some initiatives and good practices undertaken by the Government of Rwanda to promote girls' education and women's training. Some of those initiatives are the following:

• Elaboration of the National Girls education policy in 2008;
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• Introduction of a free and compulsory Twelve-year basic education;
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• Introduction of Girls’ room and sanitary facilities;
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• Establishment of schools of excellence for girls;
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• Awarding the best performing girls;
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• Implementation of School feeding program to reduce school students’ absenteeism and improved both boys’ and girls’ performance;
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• Establishment of Early childhood development centres.

He further noted that the implementation of these initiatives played an important role in the promotion of Girl’s education and women’s training. For instance:

• The enrolment of girls from pre-primary schools to universities and Higher Learning Institutions increased considerably;
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• Women's access to formal financial services has almost doubled in four years, from 36% in 2012 to 63% in 2016;
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• Over the past six years, the number of women deployed in international peacekeeping missions has increased sevenfold;
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• Women are well represented in decision making organs whereby they hold more than 61% of parliamentary seats, 50% of ministerial posts, 43% of Supreme Court judges and more than 43% of women are members of District Advisory Councils.

The Prime Minister reiterated the impact of investment in girls' education and women's training, and revealed that several innovations by girls have provided solutions to some of society's major challenges.

The Premier concluded his remarks by insisting that though progress has been made in promoting girls' education and women's training in Rwanda, there is still a long way to go. He also thanked the Government of the Republic of Chad and the International Organization of La Francophonie for organizing this conference.

Click here read the full speech of the Prime Minister.