one of the most efficient strategies for ensuring sustainability of gender equality gains in Rwanda. Men are now among leading advocates for gender equality and ending VAWG. 101. Programs were established to improve the efforts for women empowerment and on their role in the society. Those are women access to finances with average of 63% according to the Finesco 2016 report, National Gender Policy of 2010, GBV policy of 2011 and the HeforShe campaign launched in 2016. Article 18: Right to a Healthy and Sustainable Environment 102. Rwanda is signatory to major environment protection treaties and protocols and adheres to their requirements, including relevant gender equality principles. Women’s involvement in environmental management like the Environment Committees at village level has had a critical impact on the protection of the environment. Women in Rwanda are actively involved in the development of green energy initiatives such as biogas and energy efficient stoves (rondereza). 103. This has resulted in the reduction of women’s unpaid domestic burden and reduced the incidence of GBV for women and girls searching for fuel wood. However, the participation of women in the manufacture or sale of these stoves is still low. As women are the majority among the population that is directly dependent on the environment for agriculture, water and energy, they are, therefore, invariably concerned by the decisions that are made in these matters. 104. Rwanda is a member of a number of regional economic communities (RECs) and other organizations and adheres to the gender and women empowerment promotion provisions within the protocols of these organizations. The East African Community (EAC) Protocol, for example, in its Article 23, provides that partner states should promote community involvement and mainstreaming of gender concerns at all levels of socio‐economic development, especially in decision making, policy formulation and implementation of projects and programmes. Page 97 of 105