ADEPE undertook multiple new initiatives to empower women and address gender-based violence issues through a number of ways:
- Under RGB support and SFCG, ADEPE has provided technical and financial support to 521 women entrepreneurs involved in informal trade mainly those operating at the border with DRC and Rubavu District. The support targeted strengthening women’s capacity especially entrepreneurship skills, working with financial institutions and cooperatives management. The key specific achievements registered in the context of supporting women involved in informal cross-border trade include the following:
- Increased business awareness, self-reliance and leadership based on clear goals, objectives and a sound development strategy in their businesses;
- Improved business turnover and incomes generated thereof;
- Enhanced Capacity to meet their own basic material needs and support their families in terms of shelter, better clothes, mutual health insurance and food;
- Improved marital relationships within their families and in their communities;
- Capacity to make rational decisions about how to effectively use their money; expanding their asset base; this has contributed in reducing gender-based violence among couples;
- Collective voice and leadership to affect change when something is affecting them as a group
- ADEPE promoted the peaceful cohabitation between 120 Rwanda women involved in the cross-border trade and DRC women under the British High Commission. Capacity building was provided as regards to the rules and regulations pertaining to the cross-border trade, services available at the Immigration and Emigration office, how to claim for their right rights in case of any offence from both countries. Women created mixed associations aiming at helping each other in case of eventual insecurity or any other bad situation that may occur.
- In the same framework of empowering households to ensure rights of children are respected in terms of health insurance paying, availing the school materials to the kids, 2700 children assisted with scholarship kit to perform well at school and prevent from child labor under Winrock International Support.
- Under Firelight Foundation support, rotating livestock credit was given: 30 families were provided with 30 goats. Other women were helped to set up modern apiaries under UN Women support in the area .In Rwandarwejo cooperative, 80% are women among decision making structures. Already 150 women integrated in 2014 and sensitized on beekeeping as income generating activity. Under the same support, ADEPE supported five women’s cooperatives in Rubavu district and Ngororero through gender mainstreaming and equality.
- With the project ADEPE SSF-HIV/GF implemented in Rubavu district, Western Province of Rwanda initiated since 2011-2015. 48 cooperatives made up of 960 members from 5 sectors of RUBAVU, BUSASAMANA, BUGESHI, NYUNDO and KANZENZE. The project has economically supported these cooperatives in various areas such as: livestock (816 goats) farming and agriculture. A number of cooperatives bought arable land where they grow crops like Irish potatoes, maize and vegetables.
- Under Firelight Foundation support, ADEPE has developed programs for the sake of empowerment of 500 adolescent girls for they are most vulnerable and often heads-of-households. Some are orphaned or widowed or did not complete their education, or are inhibited by lack of job opportunities. Others engage in sex work as a means of survival. Most have also encountered great hardship because of HIV, poverty, and difficult living conditions. the 500 girls have been empowered and recovered their dignity within the community. These girls got empowered in terms of building their physical, human, social, economic and financial assets resulting into improvement of their health status and the one of their children.
- Besides this economic component, ADEPE empowered women to claim their rights and mobilized the communities against any forms of violence against women and girls. Through legal literacy and social mobilization about national and local laws, policies and action plans, as well as through socio-economic (including employment) opportunities for women to break out of the cycle of violence.
- ADEPE Promoted a favourable environment of access to fundamental human rights and the quality of fair justice to the vulnerable women in rural areas using the approach of paralegals within the community. 145 paralegals are trained on good legal aid services delivery and operate in 4 districts of Rubavu, Nyabihu, Ngororeroro and Nyamasheke and 55% of them are women.
- Through trainings and sensitizations, women got knowledge on the human rights especially women’ rights and children ‘rights, rights of women and girls with disabilities, knowledge on gender-based violence and how to prevent it, Information and education and Communication on family planning, reproductive health, gender-based violence
- In January 2017, The National Coordinator of ADEPE made lobby and advocacy to the Ministry of gender and GMO to help in influencing existing policies to promote women’s rights and address gender-based violence. The outcome was that The GMO organized dissemination and advocacy meetings with, Governor, Police, different all districts of western province to share gender equality and GBV monitoring findings. Achievements in gender promotion, gender equality and eradication of GBV were assessed. Gender gaps and challenges were also highlighted in terms of gender equality principles respect and effective GBV service delivery.
- Different stakeholders after understanding the problems that affect women engaged in protecting women’s rights and children and contribute in law enforcement
Advocacy was made and non-registered children were officially registered. They also decided to contribute in the children paternity research.
