105. The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) has developed an institutional gender policy and strategy that affirms commitment to gender equality in the organization’s structures, strategies and projects. It has also developed national policy directives, manuals and guidelines for ‘gender mainstreaming in integrated water resource development and management’, which have been issued by ministries responsible for water affairs in virtually all member countries. 106. NBI’s Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Programme (NELSAP) has adopted a gender strategy and developed gender mainstreaming guidelines and supports capacity building for gender mainstreaming among partner institutions. Rwanda also adheres to gender equality requirements in development and environmental policies stipulated by other regional organizations to which the country belongs including the African Union (AU), COMESA, ICGLR and CEPGL. This provides space for synergies and more resources for environment protection and management at country level. 107. Rwanda has put in place specific institutions for environment promotion such as the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MINERENA) which have put in place strong institutional mechanisms from the grassroots level including the national committee on environment and environmental committees in which National Women Council (NWC) members are part of. Strong decisions have been made such as the prohibition of cutting forests and the abolition of plastic bags, which have prevented women with health hazard. 108. The National Environment Policy provides for “mainstreaming gender in the protection of environment”, with specific strategic actions to ensure the involvement of men and women in the protection of environment, alleviate the tasks of housewives, improve the economic and social conditions of poor households, especially those headed by women and children, and to facilitate access of women to natural resources and empower them to control their management. 109. The National Water and Sanitation Sector Policy acknowledges “the crucial roles and particular interests of women and children and that all sector activities shall be designed and implemented in a way to Page 98 of 105