prioritized financial inclusion through the village Credit and Saving
Scheme (Umurenge SACCO) as a strategic initial step of increasing
economic inclusion for women and youth.
Article 16: Right to Adequate Housing
98. Every Rwandan has a right to adequate and affordable housing
facilities. The Government of Rwanda recognizes the need of adequate
housing especially among widows and female heading households. The
Government recently abolished grass thatched houses under “Bye Bye
Nyakatsi” programme as a strategy of ensuring that Rwandans live in
modern houses.
Article 17: Right to Positive Cultural Context
99. Negative cultural and patriarchal attitudes: Increased investment by the
Government and Civil Society Organizations in raising awareness on
gender equality and the elimination of gender-based discrimination has
resulted in significant improvement of people’s attitudes on the role of
women and girls in society. Nevertheless patriarchal attitudes and
gender stereotypes continue to keep girls and women away from some
professions, especially the technical fields. A gender impact assessment
of the Law on Matrimonial Regimes, Liberalities and Successions,
conducted in 2011, revealed that culture and traditional beliefs are still
major obstacles to the implementation of the law. The patriarchal power
relations between men and women, girls and boys, continue to
undermine women and girls’ ability to contribute and benefit from
development initiatives.
100.
Legal reforms carried out in recent years have provided a
foundation for ending these harmful and discriminatory practices, but
more needs to be done to implement and enforce the laws, leverage
public awareness-raising efforts, foster open debate in the media and
other fora, and training women and men to respect and protect
women’s legal rights. Intensive campaigns and advocacy by Rwandan
civil society are making progress in changing the patriarchal mindset.
Reaching out to men as partners in promoting gender equality has been
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