International Women’s Day was approved by the United Nations (UN) in 1972. We celebrate this day in order to celebrate the achievements of women in the social, economic, cultural and political spheres, but we also call on everyone to implement activities that promote the empowerment of women.
This year, Rwanda, as well as other member countries of the United Nations (UN), will celebrate International Women’s Day, taking into consideration the role of women in promoting innovation and education based on technology. This year 2023 the world will celebrate International Women’s Day with the theme: “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”
This topic is closely related to the main topics that will be discussed at the Commission on the Status of Women conference on the topic "Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”
The government of Rwanda has taken various measures aimed at developing the economy based on technology through various programs and policies. This can also be achieved through the development of education, business, agriculture, financial services based on technology and access to timely information.
Imprisoned women, like other women in Rwanda, are no longer excluded from the process of development, either to be productive while they are in correction facilities and to prepare them to return to family life and join other citizens in the struggle for development.
Imprisoned women, like other women in Rwanda, are no longer excluded from the process of development, either to be productive while they are in correction facilities and to prepare them to return to family life and join other citizens in the struggle for development.
The ways in which prisoners are prepared to get back to the community has huge implications for a successful reintegration and hence a safer community. Rehabilitation and reintegration programmes are important forms of preparation for release to assist successful reintegration of prisoners to their families and communities.
Interpeace in close collaboration with DIDE, Prison Fellowship Rwanda and Haguruka are implementing a programme titled “Reinforcing social cohesion and reintegration through societal trauma healing in Rwanda” This program is focused on strengthening psycho-social and economic resilience for sustainable peace among communities and support rehabilitation and reintegration of Prisoners.
It is against this background that INTERPEACE and DIDE in partnership with RCS are organising the celebration of International women’s Day in line of awareness sensitization activities on peaceful cohabitation and social cohesion to strengthen women detainee’s skills for supporting effective prisoners ‘rehabilitation and reintegration process, thus bootering the social cohesion and development process of prisoners.
Objectives of the day
1.To raise awareness on national gender equality and women empowerment endeavours to feed into the process of the female inmate rehabilitation and re-integration especially in addressing societal trauma, peaceful cohabitation, and social cohesion.
2.Build and advocate for more women involvement in the acquisition of skills to innovate and creatively use technology to address psychosocial needs.
3.To enhance and promote more involvement of women in technology spaces particularly through TVET that can enable their reintegration process and join the community with those important skills
4.Advocacy aimed at changing the perception of women in general and women detainees in particular and girls in programs and activities related to technology and in the events that involve women and girls.
Participants
The International women’s day celebrated by inmates and Correction facility officials and staff. The invited guests will be Government Officials, RCS Senior Management, District officials, Opinion Leaders, Rwanda criminal justice system, security officials, RCS Partners and stakeholders.
PARTICIPANT BEHAVIOUR
International day of women in Rwanda prisons was celebrated in Ngoma Correction Facility.The event was graced by a representative of the RCS Commissioner General who was the guest of honour, Vice Mayor for Economic Affairs from Ngoma District, other institutions that were represented included Rwanda Defense Force, Rwanda National Police, Rwanda Investigation Board,
National Intelligence and Security Services, the Catholic Church and the District hospital. As Rwanda Correctional Service partners, Dignity In Detention and Interpeace were also present and delivered statements.
Some points to appreciate in sessions:
*Entertainments of inmates (traditional and modern dance, modeling, poem, ...)
*Exhibition of different crops from production such as clothes, rice, bananas, corn, beans, art objects .....
*Offering milk and biscuits to babies living with their mothers in Ngoma Correction facility
Handing over of the sewing machines designed to support TVETs to the leadership of Ngoma correction facility as part of the" Reinforcing community capacity for social cohesion and reconciliation through Trauma Healing" Programme.
This International Women day went well, it was well planned and the activities of the day were well done.The representative of RCS thanked the participants today and thanked the representatives of partners such as INTERPEACE, DIDE.He went on to explain the good deeds achieved by women in various prisons in Rwanda, focusing on Ngoma prison, saying that as you have seen, women here are punished for the crimes they have committed but they have different careers that will help them after they finish their sentence, they learn about technology and they will use it to improve their files during the trial, to know the information of their families and to transfer money to where they are He concluded by appreciating the cooperation of RCS, the local authorities and partners where everyone fulfills their responsibilities in relation to the prison RCS is appreciated.