Gender Observatory Established in Rwanda
28 Jan 2009
Kigali — As a step towards gender equality, three officials were sworn in on 27 January as administrators of the new Gender Observatory in Rwanda. UNIFEM has been a strong advocate for the establishment of the Gender Observatory, in conformity with article 185 of the National Constitution of Rwanda.
The newly appointed Chief Gender Monitor, Oda Gasinzigwa, explained that the Observatory will work hand in hand with other government institutions, such as the National Institute of Statistics, to ensure that gender is mainstreamed at all levels and gender disaggregated data is collected to inform policy processes. "We will cut across all sectors of the economy, identify gender performance and give reports that reflect the gaps in the development system which will be a basis for decision making," she said.
The UNIFEM Regional Office in Kigali has already initiated discussions with the Observatory on collaboration in the context of its new governance programme, which will be jointly implemented with UNDP. UNIFEM's role as host and co-chair of the UN Gender Task Force in
